Officially Speaking
by chica blanca
Summary: “Officially speaking, the Winter War never happened.” ON HOLD AND UNDERGOING BETA'ING
1. Chapter 1

AN: okay, I actually got this idea while watching Fullmetal Alchemist. I almost made this a xover but decided against it…my second attempt at first person POV. Lets see if I can keep it up…

**Officially Speaking: Chapter 1**

"Officially speaking, the Winter War never happened."

All I can do is stare at him. What exactly do you say to that? I have the scars to prove it happened. My eyes rake over the young captain's face, noting the large scar that crosses his left eye. He has the scars to prove the war happened…

"Huh?" Eloquent, I know.

A shuffling of papers can be heard through the empty office. I'm not sure where his ditsy vice captain ran off to; probably ducking out of the paperwork.

"The reformed Central 46 has decided it is in the people's best interest that the events leading to and the Winter War are kept confidential. So they have ordered any information dealing with anything to do with the betrayal to be locked away."

"But Aizen's dead…and there are holes in the Squads. How exactly are they planning on explaining that?" How can they decide that the last year and a half didn't happen?

There is a hint of apprehension in Toshiro's eyes and I have to say that freaks me out a bit. This day is going downhill like a rockslide.

"The official reports will state that the ryoka (sp?) that invaded killed Aizen, Tousen and Ichimaru, and then they were killed. Because during the war, everything was on a need to know basis, not many even know about the war. Most of the seated officers know, but almost none of the unseated officers. Everyone of a lower spiritual pressure will have their memory modified."

I'm beyond shocked. Okay, technically a 'ryoka' did kill Aizen but still…how could they just decide to rewrite history just because it looked bad to be betrayed by one of their own.

"What about me?" I was told, not even two days ago, that my living full time in the real world wouldn't be good for the people there. So if the ryoka were supposed to be dead…

"Well," Damn, I see my day getting worse. "You will be attending the Shinigami Academy."

"What?" please be joking…

"Where you will be keeping a low profile for at least three years. You will not draw undo attention to yourself or any of your…unusual talents." He's not joking.

This is ludicrous. They expect me to be subtle? "But how? I mean, I kinda stand out if you hadn't noticed. Why can't I just join one of the squads? Don't you need new members? I'll do paperwork…" Come on Toshiro, you know you want to say yes.

"No." Damn it to Hell. "You must go through the Academy like any other shinigami. They want you to blend in, less chance for any of the other information getting leaked. Then after three years at the Academy, you will be quietly promoted to Fifth Division Captain."

My jaw drops and my brain tries to catch up with the other parts of my body. I finally manage to make my mouth work. "Captain? How is that subtle?"

Toshiro ran his hand through his hair. I wonder how he got the job of dropping the bomb on me. "They need competent people to fill the, 'holes' as you put it. There are a lot of promotions taking place in the near future." He sighed and pushed the stack of paper to the edge of his desk. "Truthfully I can only tell you what they've told me." He opened the drawer in his desk and pulled out a thin leather band with a silver buckle. "You will need to wear this."

I catch the band as he tosses it to me. "What is this?"

"A band similar to Kenpachi's eye patch. You wear it around your wrist and it will drop your spiritual pressure down to normal levels."

What can I do but wrap the band around my wrist? I'm pretty much stuck. It's this or I could hide out in Heuco Mundo. But I think the white sand would drive me bonkers. That's probably what pushed Aizen over the edge, not that he had far to go.

"And we will have to seal your zanpakuto."

"Ha. Yeah right." Like I'm going to be able to talk the old stubborn man to go into his sealed form.

Toshiro scowls. "It needs to be done. You won't be the first student to come to the academy with a zanpakuto, but you would be the first one with a shikai."

"And if this doesn't work, or I decide playing this game just isn't any fun?"

"They'll want to execute you." Well, ain't that a cheery thought.

I steal a glance at Zangetsu who is propped up against the wall. I can feel his displeasure from here. But between making him unhappy and having the entire Gotei 13 after my blood…

Thirty minutes and one migraine later I'm holding the sealed form of my very unhappy zanpakuto. Toshiro tosses me a bag. It has essential items including a few changes of basic training clothes and common toiletry items. I can't wear my shinigami clothes; instead I'm to wear…ugh…student uniforms.

The last thing he gives me is a soul pager.

"This is for emergencies only. Do not let anyone see that you have it, understood?" I just nod along, hoping I'll awake soon from this nightmare.

I follow him, the slow way because I'm not supposed to know how to flash step, to the academy. It's just inside the western wall. He stops at the door and turns to lock me in a searching stare.

"They are expecting you. Be careful and if you need anything…"

"Hey, this should be no problem. I get three years vacation before I have to do any work." I shoot him my famous cocky smirk, which he just rolls his eyes in response. He lifts a hand in final greeting before taking off.

The main office of the academy looks about what I expected it to look. There is an official looking woman sitting behind an official looking desk doing official looking paperwork. My entrance catches her attention.

"You are the new student Captain Hitsugaya informed us about, correct?" her tone is clipped and very…official.

"Yes, ma'am. I am Ichigo Kurosaki." I even throw in a respectful bow. And who says I don't have any manners?

She presses a buzzer on her desk without even acknowledging my greeting. Another woman enters from the door on the left. She looks me over and I can't really tell what conclusions she's made but her gaze is unnerving. She tucks her straw blonde hair behind her ear and nodded her head.

"Come with me." She turns and walks away without even making sure I'm following her.

For such a short girl, she sure can move. We made it to the dorms in what seemed like record-breaking time. She pushed open a door at the end of the hallway on the left.

"This is your room. Currently you have no roommate. Please drop off your belongings, along with your zanpakuto which students are not allowed to carry around, and follow me."

Now ain't she just a ray of sunshine? Zangetsu isn't happy about being left behind and I have to say his feelings mirror my own. But I figure arrancar aren't likely to come through the ceiling or anything so I shouldn't be so anxious.

"So, where are we headed?" The silence is driving me nuts and the band around my wrist is starting to become irritating.

She fixes me with a glare. "You will be evaluated by Sensei Morita in kendo (is that the right term?), kido and hand to hand combat. Afterwards you will take a written examination. These tests will determine if you will advance past first year." Her answer was so clipped I'm just going to give up on making conversation.

The crowds of students part before my rather formidable guide. Some were whispering about me, I could tell by the way they averted their eyes when I glared in their direction. Nothing I'm not used to.

The training room is empty except for a slender dark haired man who looks up from his book to look me over. The same quick dismissal that my wonderful guide gave me. I would love to tell them Aizen had the same opinion of me the first time he saw me too, look where it got him.

"I will be back in two hours." She leaves without even wishing me luck, or saying goodbye.

The sensei stood from his reclining position on the mat and tossed his book in the corner. "Pick a sword." He said lazily, pointing to the various wooden swords hanging on the wall.

The first one I pick up is so light its ridiculous. I hang it back up and look for a thicker sword. The thickest is still to light for my comfort but I guess I can't be choosy. It's not the length of Zangetsu but it's the longest on the wall that's still a sword. I twirl it once in my hand before facing the sensei.

He has his own practice sword in his hand and he scans my stance critically. "All wrong." He mutters before crossing the distance and moving my arms and legs in the 'correct' position.

I have to remind myself that I'm not supposed to draw attention to myself so that I don't just chuck the freaking wooden sword through the guy's skull. This is going to be a long three years.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The kendo test had been extremely frustrating. The sensei moved slowly and deliberately and making it seem like he was the better fighter took all of my skills as an actor. Hand to hand was about the same, but the kido test almost blew my cover.

It was the basic, 'raise your spiritual pressure till you pass out' drill but I thought with my new nifty bracelet that I would hit the deck without acting. Apparently not. He gave me a strange look when he helped me back to my feet.

Then the ice queen came back to escort me to the room I was going to take the written exam. That was the _most_ fun. Most of the questions were like, 'If you need to gather information from a suspect, how would you go about it?'

Not sure if they're going to like my answers as they tended to be around the lines of, 'Bust in, slam suspect against wall, ask questions, repeat if necessary.'

Eh, oh well. Now I'm waiting to get looked over by the Academy's medic. My first impression as she walks through the door is that she's not nearly as scary as Unohana.

She has the standard clipboard in one hand and her eyes pass over me quickly. "Please remove your outer robes."

She may not be as scary as Unohana, but at least Unohana smiles while she tortures you. I have quite a few scars littered over my body; most due to the fact that when they first were healed, I was waiting to rush off into battle again so the wounds never healed nicely.

She clucks her tongue and mutters something about troublemakers and such before quickly giving me my physical. Twenty excruciating minutes later she's done and I can leave.

I'm _starving_. There's got to be a dining hall or cafeteria or _something_ in this place. Too bad my guide's gone AWOL. Guess I'll just have to search around.

Well, I've found the dining hall but it'd be a far stretch to call this stuff food. The rice looks safe enough, I mean, who can manage to screw up rice? Mmm. Rice for the next three years; never thought I'd miss my little sister's cooking so much.

I found a table that was relatively empty and crashed into the seat with my bowl of rice. Now that I finally have a moment to think, I wonder just how did I get roped into this? Nobody asked me if I wanted to even _be_ a shinigami in the first place, much less a captain. I chew on the end of my chopsticks and think about my future.

No normal life for me. I can say bye-bye to the idea of a quiet life with a wife and children; maybe even a dog in the backyard. Hmm. I wonder I they have dogs in Soul Society…I guess they must. But still…Instead I get to be shoved into a position I don't really want while lying half the time and pretending the last year and a half didn't happen.

Fun.

My musings are cut off when two people sit down on the other side of the table. The guy is about my height, but his hair is the much more normal black. Worn long, he has it gathered at the nape of his neck and his eyes are a vibrant green that seem to glare right through me.

The girl, a straw blonde with light blue eyes, smacks her companion upside the head as she realizes he's glaring. "You will have to excuse, Akio. He's a bit…well obsessive about things and you're in his seat."

I just raise an eyebrow, as Akio is now glaring at the girl and rubbing the back of his head where she smacked him. I shrug. "Whatever." They both have number three on their armbands. I'm guessing that makes them third years…

She smirks, apparently finding something funny. "I'm Sumiko. And you are…?"

"Ichigo."

"What year are you? I haven't seen you around and I'm pretty sure I would have remembered that hair of yours."

The girl seems immune to my glares and so I give up and answer the question. "I'm new. Don't know what year I'll be in yet, 'cause I haven't gotten my test results back yet."

"You were accepted without test scores?" Akio is now eyeing me suspiciously.

"Ah, well…" I scratched the back of my head trying to find a quick answer for that. "You see, I was accepted, but they didn't know which year to put me in so I had to take more tests."

"When will you know?" How that girl could eat that food is beyond me. I'm not even sure if Orihime would eat that stuff.

"Tomorrow morning before classes start." My meager dinner is gone and I stand, ready to disappear to my room. "See ya."

I hear a muttered, "Bet he's a damn noble, getting in without having to take the entrance exam…" As I walk from the table, but it doesn't bother me much. People will think what they want to think.

I am thankful that I don't have a roommate. There is a bed in the corner that looks like my feet might hang off of, a low crooked desk with no chair, a sliding door that I find leads to the closet and a worn rug on the floor. Home sweet home.

I assume the bathing areas are on the lower floors, they always are in this place. I decide that I need a bath before I collapse on the bed so I dig around in the bag Toshiro gave me to find what I need and I head out the door.

I was right. The entire eastern half of the bottom floor is a bathing house, left side for the boys, right side for the girls. Its mostly empty when I get there, since most everybody is upstairs trying to digest that stuff they're trying to pass off as food.

I ignore the few that are there, even the ones that stare at my scars and hair like I'm a wild animal or something. I get the grime from my workout earlier off and dress in comfortable cotton pants and plain t-shirt. I wonder where Toshiro got these clothes? Maybe Matsumoto went shopping…nah, there'd be little ducky's or something on my sleep pants if that was the case.

I pass through the general mayhem of the dorms, dodging between people talking in the halls and three guys who were throwing a ball back and forth. I slip into my room and the slight decrease in noise level helps to ease my developing headache.

Collapsing on the bed I find that not only is it short, it's also lumpy. Las Noches is looking better and better…

AN: yeah I know it's kinda short, it's hard writing first person! Anyways…next chapter should be soon enough, I'm headed off to work on other fics,

Cya later,

chica

Oh by the way…REVIEW!! Pretty please?


	3. Chapter 3

AN: I GIVE UP

AN: I GIVE UP! Hey I lasted two chapters this time, guess that's an improvement. It's 'cause I kept rereading my chapters and they started to make me cringe…first person just isn't my forte. Sorry for the change but my sanity demands it…hope you still enjoy!

Chapter 3

Ichigo was having a rather pleasant dream about a racecar made of chocolate when he was rudely pulled from it and into his inner world. He scowled at his albino half when his brain caught up with him.

"What the hell do you want?"

Glaring rather fiercely, his hollow merely pointed a pale finger towards the dark form of Zengetsu perched on his pole.

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "What about him?"

"He's ignoring me!" The outburst finally came, complete with waving hands and stomped feet.

Mouth gaped open, Ichigo tried to find the words. "You…dragged me out of my dream…out of my sleep…to tell me he's ignoring you?!"

Recovered from his outburst, the hollow had his arms crossed over his chest and jutted his chin out. "He's pissed at you, ya know. It's all you're fucking fault I now have to live with the silent statue over there. Damn it, King. Ya gave up to damn easily."

Before Ichigo could even ask him what he meant the hollow disappeared. Coming to the conclusion that he needed to figure out was goin' on with his zanpakuto, he started walking in that direction.

"Oi, old man!" Nothing, not even a twitch.

"Zangetsu!" Nada, zip, zilch.

By this time Ichigo was standing directly beside Zangetsu's perch, his shoulder level with the hem of Zangetsu's long coat. He looked up, annoyance clear in every aspect of his stance. "Ya ain't gonna talk to me, old man?" Still no answer. "Fine then."

Grasping the hem of the long coat he pulled, pulling the zanpakuto from his perch. Before Zangetsu could right himself, Ichigo had a fistful of his collar and shoved his face into the startled zanpakuto's.

"Ya wanna explain the cold shoulder now?" he hissed.

"You want to explain why you gave up? Allowing yourself to be manipulated…forcing me to be sealed…restricting your spiritual pressure? Without even thinking of me? Do I mean that little to you?"

Ichigo's face slacked as he realized what his zanpakuto was saying. Not letting go of his hold on the old man's coat, but averting his eyes so that he wouldn't have to see the hurt on his face, he swallowed thickly. "I…I'm sorry, I didn't think…I was just so tired…tired of fighting." he sighed.

Arms came around him and he buried his head into the old man's chest, his fist still clenched in his coat. He felt his zanpakuto sigh before saying quietly, "I forget sometimes how young you are…"

Ichigo snorted. "Eh, sometimes I feel as if I must be as least as old as Yamamoto…"

The two separated and Zangetsu scrutinized the yawning young man. "If you are truly content to live this way," he sighed. "Then I suppose I can stand being sealed for a short time."

Ichigo smirked. "Promise not too long." He turned when he noticed a blur of white appear at his side.

"Ya'll finally kiss 'n make up? Good 'cause I was sick a all the moodiness." His hollow smirked a bit evilly and eyed the half asleep Ichigo. "Wanna spar?"

"No, I'm going back to sleep, you crazy psychopath." He waved a hand in the air as he faded from view.

The hollow shook his head as his king faded away. "Ya'll are both idiots." He turned to Zangetsu and pointed upwards at the clearing sky. "Think we'll actually see the sun?"

"Hmm. Well I believe he starts classes tomorrow morning so I highly doubt it."

"I hate being wet…"

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Ichigo was running late. Apparently without his father's patented wake up call or Rukia screaming in his ear, Ichigo couldn't get up on time. He paused at the front desk to pick up his test scores and other necessary paperwork and items, including his class year armband.

He was a bit thrown to see the number three stitched on it but didn't have time to think about it as he tied it to his arm and raced to his first class. He slammed to a stop outside the closed door and caught his breath, shoving the paperwork into the notebook he had found in the desk in his room.

Opening the door he slipped inside to see about twenty people stretching and warming up. He set his notebook down on the wall beside the others and made his way to a mat, trying to get there before he was spotted.

"Ah, Kurosaki." Shit, he was caught. "So glad you could join us."

"I'm sorry, Sensei." He bowed respectfully as all eyes in the class turned to him.

"Warm up, we will begin class shortly." The sensei turned to critique another's student's stretching.

Ichigo hurried to the only free mat and collapsed on it. He started to stretch out his muscles.

"Have a hard time waking up?" Ichigo turned to see the girl from the night before sitting next to him, her nose touching her knee.

"Ah, yeah." Ichigo heard a snort from the other side of the girl and glared at the green eyed teen. But before he could respond the sensei clapped his hands together and everyone stood, Ichigo included.

They went through several katas before the mats were moved and everyone circled around so that there was a clear space in the center. Wooden staffs were handed to two of the students and they started sparring. After five minutes, one was on the ground. This happened a few more times before the sensei's eyes locked on Ichigo.

"Kurosaki, let's see what you're made of." He threw the staff to the nonchalant Ichigo and then asked. "Who wants to go against him?"

Ichigo was not all surprised to see the green eyed teen that liked to glare at him step into the center across from him, taking the staff from the sensei.

Ichigo twirled the staff in his hand gracefully before charging. He was slightly surprised that the guy knew how to handle himself; he was definitely a cut above the others that had gone before him.

Being used to a much heavier weapon, after ten or so blows, Ichigo snapped his staff in half. Dropping the pieces and noticing that the other teen was ignoring the sensei's order to stop, Ichigo blocked the staff with his forearm, hiding the wince with a smirk before grabbing the staff with his rather numb right hand.

Green eyes widened as Ichigo pulled the staff forward, dragging it's owner with it, until Akio was in reaching range. Then in a swift movement, he hooked his foot around the other teen's and dropped them both to the floor.

The staff discarded, the two wrestled on the floor until they both couldn't make a move; Ichigo's arms wrapped around Akio's neck and torso while Akio's legs trapped Ichigo's.

A light chuckle had them both craning their heads up to see the sensei standing over them. "I think we can call this a tie, boys."

They untangled themselves before standing. Ichigo noticed the girl was smirking at them and shaking her head. A bell tolled announcing the end of class and the students headed out the door.

Ichigo rubbed his right forearm, a nice black and blue bruise already starting to form. He was startled to hear a voice beside him.

"That was entertaining." Sumiko said cheerfully, Akio sulkily rubbing his sore shoulder beside her. "Ready for Kidou?"

Ichigo just groaned. "I guess I don't have much choice…"

It actually wasn't as bad as he had expected as the sensei had been informed he knew next to nothing about kidou and merely had him sit to the side and read over basic spells while the others practiced.

He felt a bit idiotic just reading while the others were practicing but he figured the longer he went without destroying the practice field the longer he could keep his cover from being blown.

Sumiko dropped down beside him when her turn was over. "Not a kidou master, eh?"

Ichigo snorted. "Not really." His eyes scanned the long incantation and he sighed.

She smiled and leaned back on her hands to watch the current group as Ichigo continued to read.

When the class ended, he found himself being ushered towards the dining hall by the cheerful blonde, where she grabbed three bento boxes before pulling him to an outside courtyard where they met up with Akio under a tree.

Sitting in the shade they dug into the bento boxes, where Ichigo found the food to be at least edible. "What do we have after lunch?"

"History and Military law, and then theoretical kidou." Sumiko said around the chopsticks in her mouth. She swallowed her bite of food. "So what district are you from?"

Akio looked up from his food, obviously interested in Ichigo's answer. Ichigo blanked a bit; shocked that Toshiro had forgotten to give him a back-story or something…

"Uh, I moved around a lot. Never in one district long enough to call home." He hoped that answer would satisfy.

Sumiko shrugged. "We both came from the 68th."

Akio glared at her. "It's not like he needs our entire life stories…"

She scoffed at him. "He just gets cranky when I tell people we are from a higher district."

Ichigo shrugged. "Why the hell would I care which district you came from? I got friends from the higher districts, not like it's something to be ashamed of…" He took a bite of his rice and missed the incredulous expression on Akio's face.

"Could've figured it out anyways with the way you fought. The better fighters always come from the higher districts." He rotated his wrist to prove his point.

Akio made a noncommittal noise while Sumiko just chuckled to herself.

AN: see, much better…anyways, I want input on who to pair Ichigo up with, I have a few restrictions:

only those in Soul society 'cause I'm keeping this in one 'world'

not Soifon or Kenpachi 'cause I can't write them romantically

not Rukia 'cause it's boring

and not Yoruichi 'cause she's got as sister role in this…

so anyone else, give me suggestions 'cause I never start a fic with a pairing in mind and so I'm asking the readers what they want…

so please review!

chica


	4. Chapter 4

AN: so great ideas about who to pair Ichigo with, I haven't decided yet who it's gonna be though, this chapters a bit short…bu

AN: so great ideas about who to pair Ichigo with, I haven't decided yet who it's gonna be though, this chapters a bit short…but getting an update so quick should make up for it…

Enjoy!

Chapter 4

Three weeks went by and Ichigo was getting into a rhythm. He went to classes, ate lunch with Akio and Sumiko, and even got to know a few of his other year mates. Every Saturday morning he got a letter from his family; courtesy of Toshiro he was sure. Currently he was at his desk, going over his kidou notes. His kidou sensei decided it was time for him to work on the practical side and Ichigo wanted to be prepared.

He was rather distracted when a shadow blocked the evening light from entering through the window. He looked up from his notebook to see Renji with a steaming cup of something in his hand that smelled suspiciously like Ramen.

Mouth already drooling, he didn't even comment on the redhead's strange appearance in the room but merely grabbed the offered cup and chopsticks before stuffing noodles in his mouth. He barely registered the bag that Renji dropped near his feet or the fact that he was now lazily sprawled on his bed.

When he finally slowed down enough to talk between bites he asked, "Not that I'm complaining, 'specially since you brought food, but whatcha doin' here?"

Renji propped his head up with his elbow and sighed. He looked like someone just kicked his puppy or something. That got Ichigo's attention. "I need ya advice."

Ichigo almost choked on his next bite. "Huh?"

Renji chewed on the inside of his cheek before getting up and grabbing the bag at Ichigo's feet. He rummaged through it a bit before he pulled out the sake bottle. Settling back on the bed, he took a long swig before saying, "I'm gonna propose to Rukia."

"Congrats, man! Wait, why don't you look happy?"

"I gotta ask her brother for permission." He grumbled.

Ichigo grimaced. "Okay, I can see how that's gotta suck." He took another bite. "So whatcha goin' to do?"

Renji stared up at the ceiling, the sake bottle in his hand hanging off the edge of the bed. "I have no clue. Ya always seem to be able to talk to the captain, and he listens to ya, how'd ya do it?"

Ichigo scoffed. "When does he ever listen to a word that comes outta my mouth?"

"How 'bout the time you kicked his ass and told him to be a good brother? Then he up and saves the sister he was going to execute himself." Renji waved his unoccupied hand in the air to prove his point.

"Eh." Ichigo was stumped at how to counter that so he went with a new tactic. "Look, he doesn't disapprove of ya'll being together now, so why would he object if ya finally made an honest woman outta her?"

Renji made a noncommittal noise in the back of his throat before taking another pull at the sake bottle. "Even if I live through asking her brother, then I gotta actually propose! I can't do this…"

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Ya big baby. It ain't like she's gonna say no or anything. And ya can always sick someone on Bayakuya to get him to behave…Unahana seems like a good choice if ya ask me. For the romantic shit though, you're on your own. I'm no good at that." He suddenly looked up from his Ramen. "You should ask Yumi, he seems like he's be good at that shit."

Renji sighed. "Yeah, just he's never away from Ikkaku and the bald bastard would never let me forget it if he hears I'm trying to do romantic shit…"

Ichigo tapped his chopsticks on his chin and thought. "I know. I need a sparring partner. I got this Saturday afternoon off, tell Ikkaku to meet me in Urahara's old hide-away and that way he'll be outta the way, and I can get some practice in as well."

Renji leaned on his side and looked at him incredulously. "That's actually not a bad idea…"

"I have a good idea every now and then." Ichigo said nonchalantly.

"So how's the academy treatin' ya?" Renji looked much more at peace now that some sort of plan was laid out.

Ichigo shrugged. "It's alright. The food sucks though."

"Yeah, that's why I brought ya somethin' to eat. I remember the food."

Ichigo was about to respond at how Renji would eat anything if it stayed still long enough, when there was a knock on his door. Wide eyed, Renji waved his goodbye and disappeared out the window, sake bottle still in hand.

Ichigo watched him go with some amusement before he called out. "It's open."

Akio stuck his head around the doorframe. "Hey, I was wondering…" His eyes narrowed and he took a step into the room. "Where'd you get that?" He pointed at the ramen cup in Ichigo's hand.

Frozen with his chopsticks halfway to his mouth, Ichigo thought quickly. Deciding he just didn't care, he shrugged and answered, "It flew through the window." He chewed his bite slowly before asking, "You were wondering something?"

Akio blinked and refocused, apparently already used to Ichigo's strange responses. "Yeah, I was looking over my notes for Military Law and I think I'm missing something because they aren't making any sense."

Ichigo rummaged one handedly through his desk before pulling out the correct notebook and tossing it at the dark haired teen. After a second of thought, he rummaged through the bag Renji left and threw a bag of chips at Akio's face.

"How did you…?"

Ichigo shook his head. "Don't ask, just enjoy." He advised before returning to his ramen and kidou notes.

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The next morning Ichigo woke to a pink blur jumping up and down on his chest. When his eyes finally focused and he managed to get enough air into his lungs, he asked, "What are you doing here?"

Yachiru smiled as she came to a stop, sitting cross-legged on Ichigo's chest. "Baldy wanted me to give ya a message." She chewed her lip for a second and thought. "Ah! It was 'Tell that berry head that I will personally kick his sorry ass into the ground if he doesn't show up on Saturday afternoon.' That's it." She smiled blindingly at him, proud of herself for delivering the message.

"Thanks, Yachiru. Now ya got to go so I can get ready for classes." He sat up, dislodging her in the process.

"Sure thing, Ichi-chan. Hey!" Ichigo turned around from where he was rummaging in his closet for a clean uniform to look at the pink haired munchkin who was back to jumping up and down on his bed. "You should come fight Ken-chan!"

Ichigo grimaced. "I have to go to class. Maybe later." He was happy for the excuse.

She pouted for a minute, but then her face cleared. "Oh well, next time then. Bye Ichi-chan!" she waved as she bounced out the window.

Ichigo sighed and continued to get ready for the rest of the day. He made a note to himself to bar his window before he went to bed from now on, it was worse than when he was living in the real world. He decided it must be a shinigami thing to enter a room through the window instead of a door. At least they weren't coming through the light fixtures…

AN: REVIEW! Pretty please??


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Ichigo stared at the space where his target used to stand, and then slowly looked to the right and left to see where those targets used to stand, before gulping audibly and facing his dumbstruck kidou sensei. Smoke blew through the courtyard and coughing could be heard from the other students.

"I believe, Kurosaki, that you used it bit too much power in that spell." She said, using a fan to blow the smoke away from her face. "Maybe you should watch others for a bit longer."

Ichigo nodded dumbly before walking to the edge of the courtyard and collapsing against the wall. Sumiko was quick to join him and offered a sympathetic look, which he studiously ignored.

Akio tried to help. "At least you didn't blow yourself up, that should count for something."

Ichigo shot him a glare before knocking his head against the wall, repeatedly.

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Saturday dawned bright and clear and Ichigo couldn't wait for classes to end. Chomping at the bit would be the clichéd way of describing his current mood and the history class he was currently sitting in seemed to creep by slowly.

Sumiko kept giving him strange looks that he didn't feel like analyzing as he watched the clock slowly tick on the wall. As soon as the bell toned, he was up and out of the room before most people even closed their books.

He had to control the urge to flash step as he dodged students and headed for his room. His eyes widened when he saw Sumiko and Akio already standing in front of his closed door.

"How the hell?" Slamming to a stop, he tried to remember if either of them knew how to flash step.

Sumiko smirked. "Well, you took your time, didn't you?"

Ichigo gaped. "I got here as fast as I could! How did you get here before me?"

Akio raised and eyebrow and jerked his head to the left. "There is an old stairway leading from the courtyard…we skipped the traffic."

Sumiko crossed her arms over her chest. "So you want to explain?"

Ichigo shrugged. "I told a friend I'd meet him this afternoon." He ducked around them to open his door.

He grabbed a long cloak from the closet, much to the confusion of his audience. After he shouldered his zanpakuto it became clear why he was willing to don the article of clothing in the heat. They stayed silent as he finished gathering anything else he could think he would need before he passed between them and shut the door behind him.

"See ya guys later." He said as he started down the previously mentioned staircase, amazed that he hadn't known about it before. They waved goodbye at his retreating figure before heading off to get something to eat.

As soon as Ichigo was out of sight, he flash stepped towards Urahara's old hiding place. It felt amazing to move at that speed once again and he reveled at the cool breeze as it whipped through his hair.

Half amazed he still remembered where the entrance was, he was not surprised to find Ikkaku already warming up in the underground 'playground.' He grinned as he caught the bald man's attention.

"Bout time you got here."

"Hello to you too, Ikkaku, besides I had _class_." Ichigo pulled the cloak from his shoulders and dropped it on the ground unceremoniously.

Ikkaku rolled his eyes. "Well, sor-_ry._ You come here to spar or exchange pleasantries?"

Ichigo laughed as he drew the sealed Zangetsu. "I didn't know you knew a big word like, pleasantries…" He ran a hand down Zangetsu's length, unsealing his sword.

Ikkaku growled.

Ichigo smirked and pulled the band off his wrist with his teeth. The annoying 'tug' feeling gone, he felt much better. His eyes flashed to the murderous Ikkaku. "Let's get started, shall we?"

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Renji braved the eleventh division compound and tried to find the feather wearing fifth seat. He found him carefully filling out paperwork in a rather deserted, if a bit ramshackle, office.

"Ah, Yumichika?"

After carefully placing the brush back in its spot, Yumichika looked up with a bright smile on his face. "What can I do for you on this beautiful day? Not paperwork, I hope?" a small sneer passed over his face.

Renji shook his head quickly. "No, no, nothing like that…I, uh…"

Yumichika raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "Yes, what is it?"

Renji swallowed, staring avidly anywhere but at the fifth seat in front of him. "I…uh, need your advice…"

Yumichika's other eyebrow joined the first and an expression of wonder passed over his features. Before Renji could figure out what just happened, Yumichika had a chunk of his ponytail in his hand and was holding the hair close to his eyes, causing the redhead's head to tilt to the side drastically.

"I knew you would crack eventually. First we must start on this hair, of course you will keep it long…but Renji? Have you ever even _heard_ of conditioner? Honestly, split ends are _not_ beautiful."

Renji's mind finally clicked. "Eh, Yumichika…"

"Yes?" Yumichika had stopped mid rant but was still holding Renji's head to the side.

Renji licked his lips; fully aware that the fifth seat could break his neck in the position he was in. "Not that I don't really _appreciate_ the idea of a…"

"Complete makeover?" Yumichika supplied.

Renji swallowed. "Yes that…but you see the thing is I need to ask you about something else…."

Yumichika let go of Renji's hair so fast, he was sure he had whiplash. "Okay then, what is it?" he bubbled.

Renji blinked, twice, before he could find his voice again. "I…well I am going to propose to Rukia." He slapped his hands over his ears at the ear-splitting squeal that followed that statement.

"Oh…a wedding! The flowers, the clothes, the food…we need to start a list before I forget something…"

Renji held his hands up. "Wait! I still have to _ask_ her…that's what I need help with…"

Yumichika got a gleam in his eye and shoved a piece of paper and a brush into Renji's hands. "Take notes…this will be the most beautiful proposal ever…"

Two hours and one extremely exhausted Renji later, they finally came to a stop. Renji blearily eyed the parchment he was holding. "But, Yumi…where am I going to get two pounds of glitter? And the butterflies flying in formation?" His voice died as he took in the severe look the other man was sending his way.

"You will find them and this is going to be the most beautiful proposal in history!"

Renji nodded quickly before backing out of the office. "Of course…of course…"

He was almost out the door and back to the relatively safety of the hallway when Yumichika's voice froze him in place.

"Ah, By the way Renji, congratulations…" Yumichika flashed him a bright smile that Renji weakly returned.

"Thanks." With that, he turned on his heel and escaped, now understanding why Ikkaku was so unhinged; the man was surrounded by _that_ everyday.

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Ichigo winced. "Damn you Ikkaku." He muttered to himself as he made his way back to the Academy. Along with the various bruises and scrapes that littered his body, he had also acquired a rather nasty slash across his ribs, causing every breath to tear open the wound farther. The salve he applied was doing its job in stopping the bleeding, but he wasn't sure how long it would last.

His only comforting thought was that at least Ikkaku wouldn't be walking right for at least a week, courtesy of Zangetsu meeting his calf.

Ichigo sighed as he made his way up the back stairs, happy that he didn't have to make his way through the crowded after dinner hallways. He slipped in his room and raised an eyebrow at the bottle sitting on his desk.

Underneath the sake bottle was a note written in chicken scratch.

'Thanks, I think I'm scarred for life'

Ichigo smirked as he tucked both bottle and note in his closet before collapsing on his bed. Hoping his wound wouldn't open during the night, he drifted off into sleep, images of what torture Yumichika put Renji through flashing in front of his face.

AN: hope I got Yumi and Ikkaku right…this might be the first time I've ever really written them…please review!


	6. Chapter 6

AN: so I've finally figured what I'm gonna do with poor Ichigo…and…it's going to be interesting…but don't expect it to be comi

AN: so I've finally figured what I'm gonna do with poor Ichigo…and…it's going to be interesting…but don't expect it to be coming up for a few more chapters…like four I think…anywho, enjoy,

Chica

Oh, and since I haven't been putting this in my stories lately: nothing you recognize is mine…don't sue, cuz ya won't get much!

Chapter 6

The next morning Ichigo vowed once again to kill the bald third seat. Before he pulled on his uniform top, he sacrificed one of his plain shirts to band his ribs, hoping the less he moved, the less they would hurt. He had half a mind to sneak off and find Hanataro to see if he could just 'fix' him like he did so many times in the past, but he was worried about getting the guy in trouble. So he bore his pain with a deep scowl and walked stiffly off to breakfast.

Akio and Sumiko gave him sideways looks when his sat carefully and then barely moved as he ate.

"Are you feeling alright?" Sumiko asked eventually.

Ichigo grunted something that sounded vaguely like yes. His day pretty much went downhill from that. He was sitting in his kido theory class, every muscle stiff from trying not to move very much during the day, and trying to pay attention to what his sensei was saying.

"Spiritual pressure transfer is not a feasible idea. Many have tried and instead of the desired effect, death to either the recipient or the lender is usually eminent…"

Ichigo's eyes unfocused as he mind drifted off. It might have been triggered by the sensei's words, or perhaps his thought of Hanataro that morning had something to do with it, but he was suddenly pulled into a memory.

"Renji! Renji you idiot!" Ichigo made it just in time to see the arrancar the redhead had been fighting fall, shortly followed by redhead himself.

_Bleeding and battle weary, Ichigo leaned over his fallen friend to find him pale and breathing very shallowly. His eyes locked on the large hole in the man's shoulder that was pouring blood. Pressing his hand to the wound, he looked up to see if anyone was near enough to help._

"_HANATARO!" he spotted the slight man limping in their direction and his shout had him picking up his speed. Collapsing gracelessly on the ground beside the redhead, Hanataro placed his hands over the fallen man's body._

_As he concentrated, Ichigo looked over the man who was so desperately trying to save Renji's life. Dark circles marred the skin under his eyes and his face was etched in exhaustion. The steady green light, flickered then faded all together. Hanataro looked at his hands as if they betrayed him somehow._

"_I- I can't. My spiritual pressure is too low…" His breathing was erratic and he looked down at the man he was trying to save in panic._

"_What if…" Ichigo had picked up on the man's panic. "What if I give you some of mine? Would that be enough?"_

_Hanataro's eyes were wide. "I don't know if that could work…" His eyes drifted down to Renji. "…but I don't see much choice. I'm not about to just sit here and let him die." He took a deep breath. "Okay, I need you to put your hands on my shoulders and concentrate, flowing your spiritual pressure into me…try to keep it slow, because then I have to channel it into Renji."_

_Ichigo swallowed before placing his hands on the smaller man's shoulders. "Okay." He concentrated with all of his will on allowing a small stream of his spiritual pressure into the kneeling man in front of him. In turn, Hanataro had his hands over Renji and a deep look of concentration on his face._

_A few breathless seconds passed before the green glow appeared once again. Neither gave a sigh of relief until the bleeding completely stopped and Renji gained a bit of color. Soon after, Hanataro dropped his hands and Ichigo broke the connection._

_Wiping a hand across his sweaty face, Hanataro rose to his feet. "We need to get back to base…" _

_Ichigo nodded before scooping up the still unconscious redhead and following Hanataro. They flashed stepped back towards their base._

"_That should have been impossible." Hanataro commented._

"_I'm a study in making the impossible, possible." Ichigo responded dryly._

"ICHIGO!" Ichigo jumped as his eyes came back into focus. As soon as reality hit him, he groaned as the sudden movement caused pain to shoot from his side.

He glared at Sumiko. "What the hell did you do that for?"

She raised an eyebrow. "The bell rang three minutes ago, and you haven't even moved yet…" She looked around the empty room to prove her point, Akio stood beside her unsuccessfully trying to hide a smirk.

Ichigo rubbed his face, trying to get his heart rate to return to normal. "I guess I was just daydreaming." He caught the look they shared, but decided he just couldn't put any energy into interpreting it.

"Come on, let's go outside…I'm sick of being inside this stuffy building." Ichigo suggested, as he stood stiffly.

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Two months later…

Ichigo was sitting down to dinner when he noticed the chatter level in the room was higher than normal. He cocked his head to the side and listened discreetly, though the group of girls that sat at the other end of his table probably wouldn't have even noticed if he wasn't being discrete.

"…that Kuchiki girl, you know the one that was adopted into the family? Yeah, I hear she's getting married!"

"Oh, I know, I heard she's getting married to her brother's vice captain…" the girl giggled. "That red hair and all of those tattoos…"

At that point Ichigo blocked out the rest of the girls conversation. He couldn't help the smirk that covered his face.

"What are you smirking for?" Akio asked with a raised brow.

"Nothing…" Ichigo said absentmindedly.

That night he was unsurprised to see the redhead invade his room once again. Renji had a rather goofy expression on his face and Ichigo could smell the sake from six feet away.

"I'm getting MARRIED!" he all but yelled. Ichigo was quick to cover the loudmouth's mouth before someone started to wonder what the hell was going on in his room.

"Keep it down, you idiot." He hissed.

Renji nodded and Ichigo cautiously let go. "Sorry…" he stumbled the few feet and collapsed on Ichigo's bed.

Ichigo snorted. "I take it Ikkaku and Co. took you out to celebrate?"

That question seemed to jog something in Renji's memory. "Oh, yeah," he sat up from the bed. "That's why I came, to come get ya."

"I can't go anywhere." Ichigo said, rather patiently. "If my cover gets blown…" He let the sentence hang.

Renji pouted. "But…but my best man _has_ to come… 'cause, 'cause…just _'cause!"_

Ichigo gaped at him. "Best man?"

Renji gave him his best, drunk, 'no duh' look. "Course…gotta have, _somebody_ make sure cap'an don't change 'is mind and try and cut me to bits…" He looked a little worried for a second, but then waved it off. "Anyways, uh…what was I sayin'?"

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "I was just saying, I'd be honored to be your best man, since you probably won't remember this conversation in the morning and I won't have to hear you ever bring it up…and _you_ were going to say, your welcome, before climbing back out my window and going to get trashed with the rest of the idiots you hang out with."

Renji blinked.

"Okay?"

Renji nodded. "Sure thing." He tilted his head. "Ya comin' or not?"

Ichigo pushed Renji towards the window. "No, and pass along a message for me. Tell those drunks that if they get you killed…I'll have to chop some heads off. Okay?"

Renji nodded as he climbed out the window. "Yup, I die… you chop heads off, see ya."

Ichigo shook his head. "See ya, you idiot."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

It was two weeks before Ichigo had another invad…er… _visitor_ in his room. He woke slowly as he realized he was having minor difficulties breathing. He became aware of a warm weight on his chest and he slowly opened one eye. His field of vision was filled with black fur. It took a few more seconds before his mind woke up enough to realize that he had a sleeping cat curled up on his chest.

"Yuruichi?" the cat turned and blinked open bright yellow eyes before yawning and stretching.

"What are you doing here? This is my day off." Ichigo complained as he tried to bury himself under his pillow.

"I know that. We're going shopping."

Ichigo lifted the pillow enough to glare at the cat who was calmly cleaning her face. "Shopping?"

"Of course. You need something to wear to the wedding and I needed something to do today."

"Go bug bucket head."

"He's busy. Now, get up already." She added a swipe of her paw to emphasize her point and to get him scrambling out of bed.

He grouched but walked to his closet and started pulling out some basic training clothes, there was no way he was going out in his academy uniform. "How did you know I even had a day off?"

"I know everything." Ichigo froze at the distinctively female voice.

Grabbing an extra set of training clothes he threw them behind him without turning. "Put on some DAMN clothes!"

She laughed but he could hear her donning the clothes he threw at her. When he was sure she had more than ample time to cover herself, he turned around with a glare. His loose pants hung off her hips and she had tied the loose ends of his top so that a good portion of her stomach was shown. She was tying the sleeves up when she noticed his glare.

"You think you'd be used to it by now."

He just shook his head. "How does Urahara put up with you?"

She got a rather devilish look in her eye. "Well, the sex is great."

Ichigo groaned and covered his ears. "I so _did not_ need to hear that!"

She laughed and pulled at his elbow, propelling him from the room. "Come on, let's go!"

Ichigo balked. "Wait, what if somebody sees you?"

She smirked. "I've been exiled for so long…I'll just say I'm your sister!"

He followed her, knowing that he was fighting a losing battle. "How are we going to pay for this little shopping excursion?"

She flashed him a smile again, using a bit more teeth than necessary. "I liberated Bayakuya from his credit card." She flashed a piece of plastic at him. Ichigo did not want to know where she had been keeping it.

"Won't he, oh I don't know…want to KILL ME when he finds out?" They made it out of the academy with no one really the wiser. Ichigo vaguely noticed this was because it was so damn early still and most everyone else was sleeping.

She shook her head. "Of course not. He told me to make sure you wore something appropriate…he never put a _price limit_ on it."

Ichigo just shook his head and let himself be lead away. He figured if Bayakuya killed him before the wedding, at least he'd have something to wear at the funeral.

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Ichigo stared at himself in the mirror critically. "Why can't I wear black again?"

Yuruichi sighed. "Because this is a _wedding _not a _funeral_, you idiot. Besides the cream looks nice against your skin tone."

The small woman who had about fifty pins stuck in her mouth and was currently fitting the kimono to his specific size nodded along with what Yuruichi was saying.

Ichigo sent an annoyed look in the dark skinned woman's direction before looking in the mirror once again. He had to admit it wasn't _too_ hideous. The outer kimono was a light cream and a dragon outlined in blue green snaked over his left shoulder and faded into the blue edging. The inner kimono was the same blue as the dragon.

He waited patiently for the woman's fingers to finish with the hem before he slipped out of it, carefully as to not get stuck with the pins. She informed them that it would be done in a week's time and merely raised an eyebrow before she took the card from Yuruichi.

That mission accomplished, Yuruichi decided it was time to eat. He followed her as she found a perfect place to pick up some food, claiming she wanted to go back to the academy to eat, so that she could meet his friends.

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Really Yuruichi, why?"

She narrowed her eyes. "You are too antisocial and I don't really believe these friends of yours exist. Besides," She smiled. "The best way for me to know how you are really doing is by talking to other people, 'cause you sure as hell won't give me a straight answer."

Ichigo grunted as she piled him with boxes of food. "I'm fine…"

She ignored him and started off in the direction of the Academy, Ichigo following sulkily behind.

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"You're his sister?" Akio asked skeptically, and Ichigo really couldn't blame him, as they really held no resemblance to each other. The four of them were sitting under 'their' tree, the boxes of food piled around them.

But that didn't deter Yuruichi. "Yup. My little brother." She reached over and ruffled Ichigo's hair.

"If you wish to keep that hand, I suggest you don't do that again." He growled out, his eyes flashing with anger. Yuruichi merely laughed.

"Such a temper. His temper isn't getting him into a lot of trouble here, is it?" Ichigo rolled his eyes as the obvious interrogation went underway. He stuffed his mouth with food and tried to ignore Yuruichi's constant stream of questions.

That was until a certain question caught his ears.

"So, any girl in my little brother's life?"

"Yuruichi!"

"What?" she asked, faking innocence.

"Just because you tell me about your sex life doesn't mean I want to return the favor!" Three faces looked at him with eyebrows raised; Yuruichi sporting a smirk as well. He slapped a hand over his face and groaned. "That so came out wrong…"

Yuruichi started cracking up, rolling back and forth on the ground while Akio and Sumiko weren't far behind her. Ichigo just massaged his temples and tried to keep his head from exploding.

Finally Yuruichi calmed down to giggles and sat up. "That was entertaining." She reached over and pulled Ichigo's wrist closer so that she could see his watch. "Ah, guys I gotta go…wouldn't want a pink cloud of death to come looking for me."

Akio and Sumiko looked confused while Ichigo just crossed his arms. "You would deserve it."

She flashed a smile. "Ah, he'd never catch me." She bent down and kissed his cheek before he could protest. "See you later." With that she was gone.

Sumiko stared after the blur that was Yuruichi. "Your sister is…interesting."

Ichigo sighed before grabbing another box of food. "You don't know the half of it."

AN: I don't know…Yuruichi kinda ran away with this chapter and my muse had his hands full getting her to act the right way…eh, she's probably a bit OOC as well…ah, review, por favor…

Chica


	8. Chapter 8

AN: so I started this last night when my brain was…well a bit scrambled…but I kinda like how it ended up, go figure

AN: so I started this last night when my brain was…well a bit scrambled…but I kinda like how it ended up, go figure. Anyways some characters may be OOC but I blame the sake…and the answer Toshiro's looking for is 42…

Chapter 8

Ichigo straightened Renji's kimono and tried to get the man to calm down. They were standing in a side section off the main tent that was going to house the ceremony and Renji could not stay still.

"You're going to be fine." Ichigo said for the umpteenth time trying to restrain the urge to hit the redhead over the head to get him to stop pacing.

"What if she decides she doesn't really want to marry me? What if…"

Ichigo stopped the pacing man with a hand on each shoulder and fixed him with a look. "She wouldn't have said yes if she didn't want to marry you. Though _why _she would…" he smirked as Renji glared at him.

That was until a slightly sick expression dominated his features once again. "What about Captain…"

Ichigo shook his head. "You let me worry about Bayakuya. If he tries anything, I'll stop him, cover or no cover. All you gotta worry about is not tripping over your lines." Ichigo cursed himself when the slightly sick expression, turned into full out panic. "All you have'ta do is repeat after Yamamoto. Easy shit."

Renji took a deep breath and seemed just this side of calm when the tent flap opened and a formal looking man waved them forward. "It's time."

"It'll be fine." Ichigo reassured him one more time before they passed through the curtains and entered the main area.

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Ichigo crashed into an unoccupied chair in the darkened room and watched the mayhem that seemed to happen anytime you mixed shinigami and sake. A messy tangle of arms swayed to the beat of the music and Ichigo tried to pick out the individual people but as he was on his own fourth cup of sake, everyone seemed to blur a bit.

He was currently hiding from Rangiku…who had decided he needed to dance with her because Toshiro, no matter how drunk he was, would not. He picked an out of the way table and hoped the sake in her system would prevent her from finding him.

He was surprised to see the eighth division's vice captain sharing the table with him and was even further surprised to see the sake bottle in her hand and the rosy tint to her cheeks that suggested it might be closer to empty than full. Her alcohol brightened eyes locked on him.

"Ah, Kurosaki. Are you having a good time?" He blinked a bit as she seemed to list to the left.

He reached a hand out and steadied her. "Yeah, sure. You?"

She shrugged one shoulder. "Not really my thing. Tryin' to keep my cap'ain in line…" She sneered. "Like that's gonna happen…" she shook her head and took another sip from the bottle.

Ichigo followed, after several attempts, her line of vision and raised an eyebrow at the scene Shunsui was currently making. His pink haori was wrapped around a thin woman with rather large, ahem, assets and they seemed to be dancing. Although it was more like they were fused together than two separate entities.

He looked back at Nanao and shrugged. "You wanna dance?" He blamed the sake.

She smirked and set the bottle down. "Why the hell not?"

They stumbled towards the area for dancing and started to sway to the beat, Ichigo trying to keep Nanao vertical. Rangiku, towing a very disgruntled Toshiro, staggered to their side.

"Ah, Ichigo…I'm hurt. You wouldn't dance with _me_!" she whined with a smirk. "And you…. traitorous friend that you are!" She smiled and released Toshiro as Nanao and her collapsed against each other in a fit of giggles.

Ichigo raised an eyebrow as the two women started dancing in place, well, more like lurching from side to side drunkenly. He flashed a confused look to Toshiro.

"Don't think you're dancing with me…"

Ichigo smirked but Toshiro needn't have worried as the girls decided they had enough dancing and dragged them off to commandeer a table. The crowd that generally gravitated towards Rangiku started pulling chairs up until the entire table was full to bursting and sake cups kept getting sloshed around.

"But…I'm _tellin' ya_, there was ten of 'em, all over seven feet, if they were an inch." Ikkaku insisted, slamming his fist into the table, knocking over a few cups in the process.

Yumichika saved his glass just in time and merely stared loftily at his friend. "Ikkaku it is not beautiful to exaggerate…or to knock my drink over." He glared at the sheepish bald man.

Renji, an arm around his new wife who was busy talking to Nanao and Rangiku, cocked his head to the side. "Which district did you say ya was in again?"

Ikkaku, distracted from the undoubtedly witty response he was going to throw at the feather wearing fifth seat, scratched his head and thought. "Uh, 75th? I think…"

Renji nodded sagely, as if that made everything else make sense. "Oh, yeah."

Ichigo sighed. "Maybe I should just hide out in Rukongai…no white sand there."

Renji knocked shoulders with him. "Why so glum, chum?"

Ichigo attempted to glare at him, but gave it up as too much work. "I think I'm gonna fail Kido. And this _thing_," he glared at his right hand where the spiritual pressure depressant was wrapped around his wrist. "Sucks."

"They'd find you." Toshiro stated impassively, staring into his swirling cup as if it contained the secrets to life, the universe and everything.

Ichigo slumped further down in his seat. "Killjoy."

Renji clapped him on the shoulder. "Don't worry so much…we'll figure out somethin'." He refilled, and overflowed, Ichigo's half empty cup. "Just forget and enjoy!"

Ichigo smirked despite himself and managed to clink cups with Renji before downing its contents. Renji managed to set his cup on the table before Rukia dragged him to his feet and declared it was time for more dancing. Rangiku drug a dazed Toshiro after them, followed soon enough by Shuuhei, Kira and their respective dates. Ikkaku went off to see if he could challenge someone to a fight while Yumichika followed, amused at his brash friend.

"Can't get Kido, eh?" Ichigo twisted back away from watching the staggering dancers to see Nanao smirking at him.

He scowled. "Don't laugh at me."

She shook her head. "I'm not laughing at you. Lots of people have problems with that stuff." She leaned on her elbow and looked at him through bleary eyes. "If ya want. I can tutor you or something."

Ichigo blinked. "You'd do that?"

She shrugged. "Why not? It'd have to be after work…" she stared off into space. "And we'd need somewhere…"

"I know a place."

"Okay then. Wanna dance again?"

Ichigo stood less than gracefully and helped the unsteady Nanao to her feet. They both staggered off to join the stumbling mob that had taken over the center of the dance floor.

AN: please review! Pretty please? And did anyone get the reference??


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Two days out of the week, Ichigo and his classmates would all sit for an hour and meditate in the hopes that they could connect with their zanpakutos. It was one of Ichigo's favorite times of the week; Most of the time.

Currently he was propped up with his shoulders against Zangetsu's side in his inner world, his hollow using his stomach as a pillow.

Shiro poked Ichigo's side with a black nailed finger. "Ya getting skinny, king."

Ichigo squirmed away from his prodding finger with a snarl. "Cut it out, Shiro."

"I mean it. Do ya ever eat?" he grouched as he squirmed his head into a more comfortable position.

"You can sleep on the floor." Ichigo suggested, but it fell on deaf ears.

A pale hand reached out and grabbed Ichigo's wrist, pulling so that the palm was facing his gold and black eyes.

"What are you doing now? Reading my fortune?" Ichigo asked exasperatedly.

"Ya getting soft, too." The albino mused as he ran a finger across Ichigo's calluses.

Ichigo wrenched his hand back and looked for himself. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but Shiro was right. Without the harsh training or the constant battles, his hands had gotten softer.

Zangetsu seemed to feel his depression at such a revelation. "When a weapon that helped win a war is no longer needed, it is hung on a shelf in honor. However, what is not realized is that by hanging it up, and denying it a purpose, the weapon slowly falls into disarray."

"Am I falling into disarray?" Ichigo asked, trying to understand Zangetsu's meaning.

The dark haired man looked down on the teen peering up at him in confusion. "Do you have a purpose?"

"Besides driving me insane?" Shiro interjected.

Ichigo shoved the annoying albino's shoulder, causing the other to laugh. "You're the one driving _me _insane, remember?"

Shiro smirked and reclaimed his 'pillow' before a look of concentration passed over his features. "Someone's tryin' to get yer attention."

Ichigo yawned. "Who is it?"

"Green eyes."

Ichigo rolled his eyes before shoving Shiro off of him so he could stand. "He has a name you know."

Shiro looked up at him and shrugged. "Why the hell would I care?"

Ichigo just shook his head before fading from view.

"Hmmm. I do like the sun." Shiro commented as he basked in the bright sunlight.

"For once, I would have to agree with you." Zangetsu commented.

Ichigo blinked his eyes open and was unsurprised to see Akio waving a hand in front of his face.

"You sure go into a deep trance." Akio said with a raised eyebrow. "Any luck?"

Ichigo kept the smirk from his face. "Nah, stubborn old man." He looked around the small courtyard that was bathed in the afternoon light. "Where's Sumiko?"

Akio ran a hand through his hair, trying to push the loose strands out of his face. "She said she had somewhere to be." He didn't exactly look happy about this.

Ichigo nodded before standing and slinging Zangetsu over his shoulder. "Ya wanna spar?"

Akio blinked. "Spar?"

"Yeah, you know…fighting without the intent to kill or maim but with the intent to strengthen and improve?"

Akio rolled his eyes. "I know what the word means, you ass. I was simply surprised that's all. What brought this on?' Over the past ten months that Ichigo had been at the Academy, he had never asked to spar with Akio, barring in class.

Ichigo shrugged and looked at his open palm. It ticked him off that he was letting Shiro's words get to him, but he figured instead of stewing about it, he would fix it. "Come on." He led the still confused Akio towards one of the outer buildings of the Academy.

This particular building was designed to prevent excess spiritual pressure to leak out into the area and was available to students who wished to work on raising their spiritual pressure.

Ichigo pushed the doors opened and blinked his eyes a few times to adjust to the light. A pair of sixth years were already sparring at the far end of the room, but Ichigo ignored them, hardly even noticing their raised spiritual pressures.

He pulled the sealed zanpakuto from his back and faced Akio, who was looking at him dubiously.

"You want to fight with zanpakutos?"

Ichigo blinked a few times. He was confident that he wouldn't hurt Akio and that Akio wouldn't get through his defenses, but he was trying to find a plausible reason to explain to Akio.

"What, you chicken?" Ichigo was happy to see Akio fist tighten around the hilt of his own zanpakuto.

There was the sound of a sword being unsheathed and Ichigo smirked as Akio walked to face him in the sparring space. For the next half an hour, the two moved gracefully around each other, as the sound of steel on steel echoing against the walls.

Ichigo was faintly aware that the other two in the large space had finished sparring and were now watching them, but he pushed their audience from his mind and concentrated on the complex steps he was taking.

That was until the larger of the two snorted and said to his companion. "Do ya think he's compensating for something with the size of that zanpakuto?"

Ichigo's face didn't betray his anger as he sidestepped around Akio in a flurry of movement and landed with the tip of Zangetsu resting under the loudmouth's chin. Wide eyes looked down at him and Ichigo raised an eyebrow, his lips curved into a lazy smirk.

"You were commenting on the size of my zanpakuto?"

The man's wide eyes narrowed and he took a step back. "You think you're all that?" he sneered in disgust. His companion backed a few steps away, obviously stating with his body language that he didn't want any part of this.

"Ichigo…" Akio watched the two with wary eyes.

Ichigo cocked his head over his shoulder and shot him a cocky smirk. "Ah, I'm sorry Akio, we were sparring, weren't we? Just a moment, I'll get back to you."

"You're not going to be walking in a few minutes." Ichigo turned back to the livid man in front of him, noticing the zanpakuto clenched in his fists.

Ichigo's smirk grew. "Purpose. I never thought it could be as simple teaching an idiot some respect."

'Careful, Ichigo. Remember your cover.'

Ichigo laughed out loud at Zangetsu's words, causing those in the room to look at him like he was crazy. The loudmouth didn't wait for an explanation before launching an attack, one that Ichigo easily dodged. This happened a few more times until Ichigo ducked down and swung Zangetsu at the man's legs. At the last second he flipped the blade so the flat edge hit the man just below the knees, knocking him down.

He looked down on the fallen, very red-faced man before carelessly sheathing his zanpakuto. "_That's_ why my zanpakuto is so long."

His compainion helped the fallen man to his feet and helped him towards the exit. Ichigo watched with some amusement at the glares and the threats that flowed freely from the limping man.

He turned back to Akio. "I know we kinda cut it short, but I'm starving. Want to go see if there's anything edible in the dining room?" He tilted his head to the side when he noticed Akio was staring at him strangely. "What?"

Akio shook his head and seemed to snap out of whatever thoughts he had fallen into. "Nothing, lets go eat."

AN: so it was amusing to see the reactions to my introducing Nanao to the story…I promise, not all is what it seems…now if that wasn't cryptic enough…

Ah, and review! I mean, er…please review? Yeah that's what I meant…

Cya,

chica


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Sumiko snorted. "You found someone to tutor you in kido? Good luck to whoever is brave enough to attempt that." She was leaning with her back against a tree, a shogi board between her and Akio. Akio was busy studying the board and trying to find a way not to lose, _again._

Ichigo glared. "Hey, just because you couldn't teach me…" He was sitting on his heels to the side of the board, his student uniform replaced by simple grey training clothes.

"I don't think the problem was me." Sumiko muttered, her arms crossed over her chest. "Come on, Akio. Sometime this century." Akio waved a hand dismissively at her and moved one of his pieces.

Ichigo's glare lessened and he cocked his head to the side. "Eh, maybe your right."

She rolled her eyes. "Of course I'm right. I'm _always_ right. And…I always win." She moved a piece and smiled smugly at the stunned Akio.

Akio scowled at the board and tried to figure out where he went wrong.

Ichigo laughed as he stood. "Well, we'll see how brave she is. I'll catch you guys later."

Akio shot Sumiko a glare of determination, barely acknowledging Ichigo departure. "Again. I'll definitely beat you this time."

She smirked as she moved the pieces back into place. "You can always dream."

Ichigo took the long way to Urahara's old hideout, flash stepping when he was far enough away to not be noticed. He dropped down the ladder and turned to see Nanao already sitting on one of the boulders, complete with two large books balanced on her knees.

"Good afternoon, Kurosaki." She said briskly as she gracefully got down from the boulder.

"Good afternoon, Nanao." He eyed the books suspiciously. "Those are big books."

She smirked, which frightened him slightly. "The better to hit you with." Her smirk widened into a smile at the look on his face. "I'm kidding. These are just a few of your basic kido spells I thought we could work on."

"A few?" he tried not to squeak.

She just laughed. "Come on, let's see where we need to start."

After about thirty minutes, two large craters, and one coughing fit, Ichigo was sitting cross-legged on the ground, his head held in his hands.

Nanao sat opposite him, a look of concentration on her face as if she was trying to figure out an intensely difficult puzzle. Even with the spiritual pressure depressant on, he still couldn't control the amount of spiritual pressure he released. He could recite the incantations perfectly; he just didn't have the finesse to control it.

"Why is this so hard?" Ichigo whined pitifully.

She sighed. "You are just used to excelling at something quickly. Don't get discouraged just because this is going to take some time."

He shifted so that his head was held with one hand so he could look at her. "It's been ten months…no scratch that, I haven't been able to get a handle on kido since this all started. I mean, if I could just see some sort of step forward…or something." He groaned and leaned back on his hands.

"Why do you think you pick other things up so well?"

Ichigo looked up at the sloped roof and thought. "I think, it must have been because every time, I had a time limit, or it was either learn it or die or watch others die." He shrugged and tipped his face forward to face her. "I had to learn flash step in two days, bankai in three…I…" he snapped his mouth shut. He almost commented on how he had to work a bit longer at controlling Shiro, but then remember she wasn't among the few that even knew the hollow existed. He shrugged again to cover up the awkward second. "I guess I just learn better under pressure."

She tapped her chin with her finger. "Is that so?" His eyes narrowed as she stood gracefully and looked down on his still sprawled form. "Maybe you just need a little incentive then?"

He rolled away just in time to dodge the red ball of fire that was thrown his way. His eyes widened as he gathered his feet under him and stood, watching her every move closely. "What the…" His question was cut off when he had to dodge a shot of white lightning.

"NANAO! Are you trying to kill me?" his eyes flashed to the crater that would have been him if he was just a hair slower.

"Fight back." She said simply, raising a hand causing Ichigo to tense, ready to move as soon as the spell left her fingers.

Ichigo dodged three more fireballs and a few he couldn't even name before he decided he had enough of being the rabbit in this little game. He slid on his heel, dust and dirt spraying up around him as his mind focused on the task ahead.

His lips moved as he mumbled through the incantation, his eyes locked on his target that was moving towards him, a spell already on her lips, and he flashed through the hand signals trying to focus his spiritual pressure down and through the spell.

"Destructive, 31, Shot of Red Fire!" he was shocked as the perfectly maintained red ball of fire left his fingertips and flew towards his target.

His target moved just in time to let the ball pass her and explode into the wall behind her. She turned to the still shocked Ichigo and smiled. "See, you just needed some motivation."

Ichigo's face broke into a smile as he rushed at her and pulled her into a sort of stumbling, jumping, twirling dance. She couldn't help but get caught up in his excitement and was soon laughing right along with him.

He stopped spinning her in circles, and before he even really registered what he was doing, he had her face in his hands and his lips on hers. All at once it hit him just what he was doing.

He pulled away quickly, red covering his cheeks. "I'm sorry, I don't know why I did…"

She didn't let him finish, cutting off his apologies with a kiss of her own. He was so shocked it took him a few seconds before he responded, but enthusiastically made up for it.

One arm was curled around her waist while the other deftly pulled her hair from its clip so that he could run his fingers through it. Both of her hands gripped the front of his training top, and she tilted her head up further, silently asking for more.

He opened his mouth when she ran her tongue along the seam of his lips, happily accepting her inside. She tasted sweet with just the hint of mint. He moaned softly when one of her hands slipped inside his shirt and ran down his chest.

All too soon she was pulling away, but not without a soft, sweet kiss. She ran her fingers through her hair, gathered it back up into the knot and smiled as he handed her the clip.

"Come on, we have work to do." She looked slyly over her shoulder at the still flushed Ichigo. "Work before play."

Ichigo shook his head slightly, trying to get his brain to start working again. "You're the sensei." He said with a smirk as he followed her back to the center of the space.

AN: yeah, so…um…well. All I have to say is, this isn't headed where ya'll are thinking…probably…unless you somehow got into my head, or kidnapped my muse…and if you did kidnap him, good luck…

Btw…review, please?


	11. Chapter 11

AN: hehehe so it's really fun to see the mixed feelings concerning Nanao and Ichigo…oh and the idiots names are courtesy of PN

AN: hehehe so it's really fun to see the mixed feelings concerning Nanao and Ichigo…oh and the idiots names are courtesy of PND…you'll see…

Chapter 11

Ichigo was on cloud nine, or as close as he's ever been to cloud nine. After _finally_ making some headway when it came to kido and the fact that he could still smell Nanao in the air around him, he was practically bouncing through the back garden on his way to his room. Understandably he was quite distracted and didn't notice the hulking figure in the shadow.

He did notice when his arms snapped behind him and he fell flat on his face.

"Shit!" A sandaled foot turned him over and he could see it was the loudmouth from the other day had ambushed him.

"Not so cocky now, are ya?"

Ichigo didn't answer as he was trying to figure out a way to get out of his current predicament without alerting the higher ups with a spiritual pressure surge. He was distracted from his planning when he heard a struggle, a muffled oath and then what sounded like a body being dragged toward him.

"Eh, Fukuro, look who I found." Ichigo craned his head around to see a burly guy with a thick neck drag a restrained body dressed in a male student uniform. The shadow fell away and Ichigo recognized Akio's face.

Fukuro smirked. "Great work Jun. Let's drag these guys to the training room. Wouldn't want anyone to interrupt us."

Ichigo wanted to laugh. The idiot just solved his problem of not wanting to alert anyone else. He tried to catch Akio's eye and let him know it was going to be all right, but the man was twisting and thrashing at his captor. That was until he received a rather nasty blow to the temple, which caused his eyes to glaze.

Ichigo didn't feel like laughing after that. He figured the only reason the numbskulls hadn't figured out they were in trouble as they hauled the two bound bodies into the building was that they just couldn't sense the killing intent rolling off of him.

As soon as the doors shut behind the little group, Ichigo clawed at the band around his wrist. He tried to stay calm enough to focus as he heard the other captor start kicking Akio in the stomach and side. He sneered as Fukuro stalked towards his prone form, obviously gaining some sick pleasure from taking his time in pounding on a person who was defenseless; or at who least he thought was defenseless.

A smirk flit across Ichigo's face as he felt the band slide free, causing Fukuro to pause in his advancement. With a snap, Ichigo broke the binding spell and rose to his feet, murder written across his face.

His smirk widened almost to rival his hollow's as he noticed the fear flash across Fukuro's face. "I'll deal with you in a minute."

His narrowed eyes locked on the man who had been using his friend as a human kicking bag, but was now staring at him, slack jawed. Utilizing a bit of flash step, he appeared between Jun and the bloodied Akio. He relished the shock on the man's face before his hand wrapped around the man's sizable neck and he used quite a bit of force to knock the heavy set man back into the wall and hoist him in the air.

Letting his spiritual pressure surge just enough to cause his captive's eye's start to haze over, he hissed. "You think it's fun to kick a bound man? Why don't you try kicking me?"

A garbled sort of choke came from the man's mouth. Fukuro seemed to find some courage deep down and he tried to come to his friends rescue. Ichigo stopped him with a single hand, managing to slam the man against the wall next to his friend.

With a hand wrapped around each of their throats, it took a lot of restraint not to just squeeze. He took a deep breath and calmed down a bit. After all, he didn't want to have to deal with getting rid of the bodies.

So, after much internal debate, he dropped his hands and took a step back. Both men fell to the ground, gasping and staring at him like he was the devil himself.

"Get out."

The two scurried out as fast as their legs could carry them, barely glancing over their shoulders at him as he glared daggers at their retreating forms.

Ichigo took a calming breath before turning and kneeling by the bruised Akio. He quickly broke the binding spell and helped ease his arms forward. Akio was giving him a searching look, but seemed more intent on finding out just how many ribs were broken. Ichigo helped him sit up and prodded his side.

"That hurts, jackass."

Ichigo smirked and shook his head. "Geez, ya think you could be nicer to me." Guilt crossed his face, causing him to lose the smirk. "Look, I'm sorry…"

"Che, what the hell are you apologizing…ow! Damn you…for?" Ichigo helped him to his feet, Akio's arm slung over his shoulder.

"It's my fault those guys came after us…I should have just let that comment go the other day." He bent down to pick up the discarded wristband.

Akio snorted. "It was my own fault for following them. I knew they were up to no good." He eyed the band as Ichigo wrapped it around his wrist. "What _is _that?"

Indecision flickered in Ichigo's eye before he sighed. "It's a spiritual pressure depressor."

Akio nodded, but found that doing so caused his head to pound, so instead said, "Yeah, that makes sense."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow but just shifted a bit so he could support more of Akio's weight. "Come on, I've got some stuff that will fix your side. Well, you'll at least be able to walk tomorrow."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Two months later…

"Year one down! Two to go!" Ichigo commented happily as he reclined on his back in what he now referred to as his own hideaway. He figured if Urahara wanted to claim it, he'd have to come and fight for it.

Nanao laughed. Her head was pillowed on his stomach and her eyes were closed. "You're so dramatic. It's just the Academy."

He raised an eyebrow and looked down on her incredulously. "You've got to be kidding me?" He tilted his head to the side and appeared to be thinking. "You actually _liked_ the Academy didn't you?"

She smirked without opening her eyes. "Maybe…"

He playfully shoved her shoulder. "You did, didn't you?" he shook his head and then leaned back and closed his own eyes. "Of course you did."

"Is that a problem?"

Ichigo laughed, trying not to jostle her too much. "Of course not."

"That's what I thought." There were a few minutes of silence. "Do you ever eat?" She prodded his side causing him to jump.

Ichigo groaned. "_You _try eating that slop they pass off as food."

She turned her head and opened her eyes. "How 'bout I cook for you tonight?" The slight uncertainty in her eyes was endearing and he smiled.

"If you're up to feeding me, I'd love to eat something edible for once. You know it's been ages since Renji's brought me anything to eat." He snorted. "But I suppose he has enough on his plate right now."

A small smirk played on her lips. "Oh, Rukia isn't that bad yet. Just wait till the cravings and mood swings hit full force."

He just shook his head. "I still can't believe there's going to be a little Renji or Rukia running around in seven months…scary."

"He's had a lot to celebrate. Getting married, being made third division's captain, and finding out he's going to be a father, all in a few months…I'm slightly surprised his head hasn't exploded."

"Me too…"

AN: review? Please?


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Ichigo opened his closet and shook his head. Rangiku had decided it was her duty to make sure he had a proper wardrobe, though Ichigo thought she just wanted an excuse to shop, and about once a week or so, something new would appear with a little note saying he could pay her back when he got his captain's salary. He was pretty sure his first paycheck would go directly to her. It didn't matter how many times he tried to explain he really didn't need five different kimonos that were all varying shades of blue, she would just pat his head and tell him that she knew best. Between her and Yoruichi, he felt like he had two older sisters.

He reached in, grabbed the darkest blue kimono and shrugged it on. There was no mirror in his room so he just ran his fingers through his still damp from the shower hair and decided it would have to do.

He left the academy and headed towards eighth division. They hadn't advertised their relationship, but the gossip mills knew enough that it wasn't such a shock to see him strolling through the division as it had been two months ago.

As he walked the familiar paths his mind wandered. His last letter from Uryuu said that the little genius had just been accepted into Yale. Ichigo wasn't surprised at all to hear Orihime was planning on following him halfway across the world. Their relationship grew and flourished in the middle of a war, he figured a new country and culture wouldn't even faze them.

Chad was working for Urahara and played the local clubs with his band at night. Ichigo felt for the guy, as he had to deal with Jinta everyday, but was glad he had someone he could trust close enough to watch over his little sisters. He knew the Goat wouldn't do a decent job of it; especially when it came time for them to date. Ichigo shuddered thinking that he nut of a father would probably welcome any nutcase into the house. Someone needed to be there to screen their dates.

Following that thought, Ichigo worried what Kon was doing with his body. Since he knew he wouldn't be returning to the living world on a permanent basis, he begrudgingly relinquished his body to Kon. The reputation he had worked so hard for had crashed and burned but he figured the important people knew it wasn't him, so…

His musings ground to a halt when he reached Nanao's door. Taking a deep breath he raised his hand and rapped sharply on the wooden surface. The door slid open to reveal Nanao, dressed in a warm red kimono and her hair half pulled up away from her face, the rest falling down around her shoulders.

"Come in, I just have a few more things to get ready." She stepped back to let him in the door before she slid it shut.

He slid his feet out of his sandals. "Do you need any help?" he followed through the entryway and into the small kitchen/dining room.

She smiled over her shoulder. "No, it's all almost done. Have a seat. Would you like tea, water, sake?"

Ichigo settled on the cushion beside the low table. "Tea is fine, thanks."

She brought him a cup before starting to load the table with food. Ichigo's mouth was watering by the time she set the last dish down and she smirked at the look on his face.

"You look like you haven't seen food in months." She gracefully sat beside him.

He snorted and started piling food on his plate. "I _haven't._ I really didn't know that I'd miss my sister's cooking so much."

She covered her growing smirk with her teacup. "If I had known you had been suffering so much, I would have cooked for you earlier."

Ichigo rolled his eyes good naturedly before taking a bite and closing his eyes in bliss. He swallowed. "Delicious."

After they're plates were empty and their stomachs full they reclined on the cushions, Nanao's back leaning against his chest, one of his arms wrapped around her waist.

Pushing her hair off of her neck, his lips sought the tender skin behind her ear and he smiled as she tilted her head further to give him more access. He shifted her so that she was facing him as he trailed kisses up her neck and along her jaw line.

She brought her fingers up and wove them through his hair, tugging softly at the roots to bring his head up so she could cover his lips with her own. Ichigo happily deepened the kiss, asking and gaining entrance into her mouth.

He pouted cutely when she pulled away and stood. She smiled and merely held out a hand to help him to his feet. He intertwined their fingers and wrapped his arms around her as she led him towards the other room.

She slid the door open with her foot and managed to lead him to the futon with her eyes half closed as he had decided to attack her neck once again. She untangled herself from his arms and laid on the bed, their connected hands pulling him down on top of her.

XXXXXXXXXXX (AN: so I debated long and hard and decided since this was rated T…I had to keep it clean, so sorry no lemons…)XXXXXXXXXXX

"I have to goooo." Ichigo said as he tried, for the fifth time, to leave the bed. Nanao was using his chest as a pillow and she merely tightened her hold on him.

"Why?" She asked stubbornly.

Ichigo rolled his eyes, but ceased his attempt at trying to wriggle out from under her. "I told you. I have to get back to the Academy."

She shook her head, burrowing further into his shoulder. "No. Leave in the morning." She pleaded.

"I would, but I have that stupid 'survival training hike' thingy tomorrow morning and I have to be up at the crack of dawn." He groaned. "I mean, we're hardly going outside the third district…what exactly are we supposed to be surviving?"

She chuckled in amusement. "Poor baby." She turned her head and cracked an eye open and he could see the wheels turning. "If you stay, then I'll make you breakfast before you have to run off and survive, deal?" she yawned and her eyes closed again as soon as she saw him wavering. "Besides, you're a good pillow and I'm too tired to move." Her breathing started to slow and Ichigo figured she'd be out in a few minutes.

"Better be a good breakfast. Night Nanao." He mumbled pulling her closer to him.

"Night Shunsui."

AN: yes…that ladies and gentlemen is a cliffhanger and yes…I _am _just that evil…


	13. Chapter 13

AN: so I'm not so evil, updating already…lucky you…

AN: so I'm not _so _evil, updating already…lucky you…

Chapter dedicated to PND and Paul…

Chapter 13

"Night Shunsui."

Ichigo froze and he could feel Nanao do the same as it slowly sank in what she said. Wide eyes looked up at him but he avoided her gaze completely and slid out from under her, sitting up and turning so that his back was towards her and his feet were set on the ground.

"Ichi-"

He held up a hand and she fell silent. She could see the muscles in his shoulders tighten as he stood and began pulling clothes on. She quickly wrapped the sheet around herself and scrambled out of bed.

She reached out and grabbed his upper arm before he could leave the room. Ichigo stopped, his muscles tense under her fingers.

"Ichigo please…"

He shook his head sharply. "Let go."

The venom and underlying hurt in his voice caused her fingers to go limp allowing him to pull free and continue out the door. She slumped against the wall and slowly started to slide down, wincing when she heard her front door open and slam shut. She pulled the sheet closer to her body, wrapping her arms around her drawn up knees and allowed the tears to fall freely.

Ichigo was numb. He wasn't really sure where his feet were headed until he came to a stop in front of the Tenth Division's main office. He slid the door open to see Toshiro flipping through a logbook while Rangiku was lounging on the couch. They both looked up as the door slid open and two pairs of eyes widened.

"Ichigo…what happened?" Rangiku jumped to her feet and pulled him further into the room and sat him down on the couch. Toshiro closed his book and walked around his desk to lean against he back of the couch.

"I'm an idiot." Ichigo muttered as he leaned his elbows on his knees and cradled his head in his hands.

Toshiro and Rangiku shared a look. Rangiku laid her hand on his shoulder. "Did you two have a fight?"

Ichigo grunted.

"Just tell her you're sorry…"

Ichigo looked up with a sneer. "I said I was an idiot…I didn't say I was the _only_ idiot, nor the idiot at fault."

Toshiro raised an eyebrow and Rangiku blinked a few times. "Okay I think we need to hear the whole story."

"No…" Ichigo whined as he buried his face back in his hands.

Rangiku clucked her tongue and stood, grabbing a hold of Ichigo's wrist in the process. "Come on, let's go." When she spotted Toshiro heading back to his desk, she latched onto his wrist as well. "It'll be there in the morning, come on."

She led them both out the door and down the walkway. Ichigo looked around vaguely as she led them past the tenth division barracks, across the training grounds and to a modest sized house. She stopped at the door and waited for Toshiro to sulkily unlock it. She just smiled at him while Ichigo stood dejectedly to the side.

As soon as the door was open she shoved the orange haired man towards the couch where he slumped down on it. Rangiku returned from wherever she ran off to with a bottle in hand.

"Do you really think you should give him that?" Toshiro asked as he settled into a soft looking armchair that was facing the couch at an angle.

Rangiku just raised an eyebrow as Ichigo held his hand out for the bottle. "He seems to want it."

"His hangover." Toshiro muttered.

Ichigo soon understood Toshiro's hesitation. This was obviously one of Rangiku's special stashes. The first swallow burned from the tip of his tongue to his stomach as he tried to resist the urge to cough. The second swallow went down easier and the third slid down his throat smooth as glass.

He vaguely noticed someone take the bottle from his hand and sit on the couch next to him. An arm slipped around his shoulder and he allowed himself to lean against her.

"So tell me what happened…"

"Everything was great…she made me dinner, ya know?"

Rangiku nodded. "Yeah she told me…she seemed really excited." She added hesitantly.

Ichigo waved a hand in the air vaguely. "Dinner was fine…after dinner we…uh…" His face started to heat up.

"Made out?" Rangiku supplied. Ichigo waved his hand in the air and his face got redder. It clicked in Rangiku's mind. "Ah, you slept together."

Ichigo glared at the way she said it so matter-of-factly. He stole the bottle back from her and took a long drag before saying, "Yes."

He was slightly surprised when Toshiro reached over and grabbed the bottle from him. Toshiro grimaced as the alcohol slid down his throat.

Ichigo turned back to Rangiku when she prodded him. "So, what is the problem?"

He sighed. "She said _his _name."

"During…"

"NO!" Ichigo took a deep breath and elaborated. "When she was falling asleep."

"You do remember they had a relationship during the war…" Toshiro said sagely. "They only called it off," He scratched his head as he thought. "five months or so ago."

Rangiku nodded slowly, watching Ichigo's face carefully. "Yeah, she broke it off because he kept getting drunk and flirting with anything in a skirt."

"I _knew _that…I'm so damn blind. I should've been able to see she wasn't over him yet…"

Rangiku soothingly ran her fingers through his hair. "Shhh…it's not your fault. She's one of my best friends and even _I _thought she was getting over him…" Ichigo sighed and closed his eyes.

Ichigo wasn't quite sure how much time had passed as everything was coated in an alcoholic haze. What he was sure was that the bottle was empty. "Tis em'ty, Ran…" He had one eye closed and the other peering into the bottle's opening.

"Cause you drunked it all, idjit." Toshiro slurred. He was sitting sideways in the armchair, his legs thrown over one arm, his shoulders against the other.

"Wouldn't be the _coolestest_ if there was a…never empty bottles??" Rangiku exclaimed from her corner of the couch.

Ichigo looked at her with wide eyes. "It would! Should toti…totalililily…so make that happen!"

She nodded, while Toshiro rolled his eyes. "Ya'll drunk…"

She blearily looked at him. "So're you."

Toshiro seemed to think about that for a second. "Yup." His face scrunched up as he started pulling out of his uniform top. "It's too damn hot in 'ere."

Ichigo smacked Rangiku when he realized she was staring at the half dressed captain. "No leerin' while I'm here."

She cocked her head to the side and mockingly glared at him, Toshiro ignoring them both as he tried to get comfortable. "I can leer if I wanna…my house…"

"It's _my _house…" Toshiro said dryly as he finally found a comfortable spot.

Rangiku didn't seem to even hear him as she was now playing with Ichigo's hair. "Ya know what we should so do?" The males 'hm'ed. "We should dye the tips of your hair black…it would be _so_ awesome!"

Ichigo raised an eyebrow and looked at her blearily. "Do ya even _have_ black dye?"

"Che, a course. Come on." She bounded off the couch, which amazed Ichigo who was pretty sure she shouldn't have been able to do that with as much alcohol as she had consumed.

She didn't give him any room to protest, grabbing his wrists and pulling him off the couch. She turned to look at the dubious captain. "Come on, Shiro!"

'Shiro' groaned before rolling off the armchair and to his feet. "Ya better not get that shit on my floor." He muttered as he stumbled towards the noise that was leaking out of his bathroom.

Rangiku had Ichigo sitting on the floor, and was digging through one of the cabinets. Toshiro slid down the wall and watched the madness with some amusement.

"AHA! I found it! I _was _gonna use this to dye Shiro's tips but…"

"But she didn't want to turn into an ice sculpture." Toshiro said with a smirk.

Ichigo looked warily at the bottle of dye in Rangiku's hand. "I'm not so sure…"

She smiled wider. "Come on…" She added the puppy dog eyes and pouted, causing Ichigo to shrug.

"Whatever…do wha cha want…" he was far to drunk to fight her puppy dog eyes.

Her smile returned full force as she started running fingers through his hair and separating the pieces. "This is gonna look _so _cool!" she giggled.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"Kurosaki, wake up."

Ichigo groaned as someone shook his shoulder gently. He tried to tell them to go away, but found his throat was too dry to form words. He vaguely wondered when last night he had decided to eat sand.

"Kurosaki!" The voice was persistent, causing Ichigo to open his eyes. As the world swam into focused he decided that whenever he had gotten done eating the sand he must have decided it would be fun to rub some in his eyes.

Toshiro rolled his eyes at the pained expression on Ichigo's face and managed to pull the younger man into a sitting position. Ichigo groaned and held his head in his hands; sure the couch that he was sitting on was swaying from side to side.

A cup of something steaming was shoved under his nose and he wrapped a slightly shaky hand around it.

"Drink it, it will help."

He did as he was ordered, even if the liquid smelled a bit strange. He did start to feel a bit better and the world stopped swaying and he could finally lift his eyelids past half-mast.

"This stuff is amazing."

"Just don't ask what's in it." Toshiro advised. "You need to get back to the Academy before someone notices you're missing."

Ichigo tried to nod, but found that wasn't such a good idea as of yet. "You're right." He stood, happy that world continued to remain in one place. He finished the rest of the cup before handing it back to Toshiro. "Uh, I just wanted to say…thanks…you know for last night…"

Toshiro shook his head. "Don't mention it." He gave Ichigo an intense look. "Kurosaki, you will get through this."

Pain flashed over Ichigo's featured before he sighed and forced a smile. "Of course…Tell Rangiku thanks for me when she gets up." He headed towards the door.

"If she ever gets up." Toshiro mumbled, shooting a look towards the half closed door where he had left the slumbering strawberry blonde.

Ichigo made his way as quickly as he could back to the Academy and snuck through his own window. He mused that the crazy shinigami's were rubbing off on him if he was going through windows.

His eyes caught on the bag packed and sitting in the corner next to Zangetsu and he groaned. The 'survival' hike had completely slipped his mind. He fought the urge to just climb under his blanket and hide from the world.

But he was Ichigo Kurosaki; he could defeat Espada and evil overlords…he could make it through one little hike in the woods. So before that thought faded into oblivion, he shouldered the bag and Zangetsu before sliding open his door and making his way down to the courtyard.

Akio and Sumiko both started when they caught sight of him. Breaking away from the group of waiting students they made their way to his side.

"What the hell happened to you? Like the hair by the way." Sumiko added tilting her head and staring at his hair.

Ichigo blinked. "My hair? What do you…" his eyes lit up with understanding. "Aw crap. I totally forgot she talked me into that!" He tried to pull his hair down so he could look at it, causing his to tilt his head and almost lose his balance.

Akio steadied him. "You smell like a distillery. How much did you drink last night? Thought you were just going to go eat?"

"Urgh, plans changed." Ichigo's deep scowl was enough incentive not to ask any more questions.

The sensei called their attention anyways, causing everyone to gather around him. Ichigo fazed out as he went on at how this was a chance to see how a field mission could go and various other reasons they were putting them through this.

Ichigo ended up leaning on Sumiko as the sensei droned on and on. The only reason Sumiko let him, was she was pretty sure he would fall over if she didn't.

Eventually they began to move, leaving the academy grounds and finally the Seireitei behind them, entering a rather pleasant forest. Ichigo was at the rear of the small group, trying to keep his eyes open and to not trip over his own feet.

Suddenly the sensei stopped and turned to look back the way they had just come, a confused look on his face. About four others in the twenty or so group also turned, Akio and Sumiko being two of them.

"What?" Ichigo asked when he noticed faces looking back at him and the group stopped.

Akio's eyes were moving slowly around the area behind Ichigo. "There is a high spiritual pressure headed this way…"

Ichigo scowled and concentrated. He was rather good at sensing spiritual pressure… if he knew it was there. His eyes snapped open and he turned, pulling Zangetsu as he did so.

"Aw, Hell no."

"Kurosaki! Put away your…" the sensei didn't get to finish his order as a whirlwind of flashing steel descended on Ichigo.

Ichigo recognized the eighth division captain, sans flowery cape and crazy straw hat, but complete with pulled weapons and a rather intense killing intent.

Ichigo guarded swiftly but forgot a few key facts; one, Zangetsu was in his sealed form, two, he still had his spiritual depressor on and three, Shunsui had two swords. He remembered all these things as he was flying through the nearest tree and hearing his shoulder give a rather nasty 'crack' as it dislocated.

As the dust settled he got to his feet to see Akio and Sumiko, both with zanpakuto's drawn standing between him and Shunsui. Ichigo glanced at his useless left arm before unsealing Zangetsu and pulling the wristband off with his teeth. Using a length of the white bandage coming from Zangetsu's hilt, he tied his left arm to his side.

"Akio, Sumiko. Move." They both looked back at him uncertainly.

"You're hurt…" Sumiko started, but Ichigo ignored her and lifted Zangetsu. His spiritual pressure started to increase, causing all of the students to stagger. Akio and Sumiko quickly moved out of the way.

"What the FUCKING HELL?" Ichigo took a few steps toward the glaring Shunsui.

"What did you do to her?" Shunsui's voice was low and steady, but deadly.

Ichigo's eye twitched. "What did _I _do to _her?!_ You've got to be fucking kidding me! I didn't do a fucking thing!"

Shunsui's eyes narrowed in disbelief. "You obviously did _something _to her. She hasn't been herself all morning…"

"I didn't do a damn thing. If you want to know what's going on, why didn't you ask her? Not that it's any of your business anyway." Ichigo hissed, trying to keep a hold on his quickly fraying temper.

"Not any of my business?" His spiritual pressure jumped up a few notches, causing most of their audience to hit the dirt…even the sensei was shielding himself behind a tree. "How is it not any of my business? She's my vice captain!"

"So what?" Ichigo gripped Zangetsu tighter. "You had her, you lost her, now deal with it!" He pushed off the ground and towards Shunsui, who had rushed forward at his words.

A column of ice landed between the two before they could make it to each other. Ichigo blinked a few times at the glacier before he felt an arm wrap around his upper chest and pull him back a few steps.

Ichigo looked up to see Renji giving him a confused look. "What the hell is going on?"

The ice column broke, and Toshiro landed on the shards that were quickly melting away. "I would like to know that as well." His glare was locked on Shunsui, who Ichigo could now see was being restrained by Ukitake, much in the same way as he was being restrained by Renji.

Ichigo scowled and stuck Zangetsu blade first in the ground so he could point with his good arm. "_He_ attacked _me_."

"I was protecting my vice captain's honor!"

"ENOUGH!" The short captain was practically radiating frustration and anger. Needlessly to say even the birds stopped their singing.

"Now, I know the both of you are more mature than this. Attacking a student, Captain Kyoraku?" Ichigo started to smirk but then Toshiro turned his icy glare on him. "And antagonizing him further? When you know your current situation?"

Ichigo gulped. "Shit." His eyes drifted to their audience. Those whose head's weren't flat on the ground were staring at him as if he had a second head.

"It's not like he's been so concerned about his 'situation' in the past. A relationship with a Vice captain isn't exactly under the radar." Shunsui said smugly, watching the anger start to build on Ichigo's face. "You weren't good enough for her anyways."

"It's not going to be a problem any more anyways." Ichigo snarled before wrenching out of Renji's grip and flash stepping away.

Renji caught Toshiro's eye. "Go after him." Renji nodded once before disappearing.

Toshiro turned cold eyes on Shunsui. "Was that entirely necessary?" he felt a slight satisfaction as the guilt flashed across the other man's face. "Captain Ukitake, could you please escort him back to the Seireitei? I will clean up the mess here."

Ukitake nodded. "Come on, Shunsui, I think you need a cup of tea and a talk."

Toshiro cast an eye over the rest of the students and the sensei. He sighed before pulling out his soul pager and holding it up to his ear. "Matsumoto, yeah it was them…yes…and pick up Yamada on the way, I believe Kurosaki's shoulder is dislocated…alright…" he clicked the phone shut and eyed the sensei that was walking towards him.

"He…he pulled shikai…without saying his zanpakuto's name…" He seemed a bit in shock.

Toshiro closed his eyes for a beat before saying. "Stop right there. You need to forget anything you think you saw here." He raised an eyebrow. "Is that understood?"

"But he…"

"Shut your mouth before I remove your tongue!"

The sensei stepped back and bowed quickly. "My apologies, Captain Hitsugaya."

Toshiro sighed. "No I'm at fault. This is just a…delicate situation." His eyes gazed off into the distance. "Dealing with people who don't do 'delicate' very well." He muttered, causing the sensei to raise his head and look at him in confusion.

Toshiro waved off his confusion. "Make sure your class does not stray…" The sensei bowed quickly before turning on his heel to assess just how many of his class was even still conscious.

AN: special thanks to PND and Marcus, because without their help…I would have been stuck and you wouldn't have gotten another chapter so quickly…

Anywho…REVIEW!!


	15. Chapter 15

AN: so I'm gonna rant for a moment so bear with me…what the hell are the anime people thinking

AN: so I'm gonna rant for a moment so bear with me…what the hell are the anime people thinking? I just watched episode 168 and I was like…wth? Ichigo defeats Grimmjow and just escapes with Orihime? They're starting another arc? With some blonde chick? I mean…okay the bount arc was 'so-so' but at least they put it in a spot where it was even feasible…this is just like…oh, btw, he rescued Orihime and managed to escape Heuco Mundo…don't ask how…and a new captian?? The best part of the whole thing was Gin and Ichigo's part at the end…

Okay I ranted long enough…on with the story…

Chapter 15

Renji was only a few flash steps behind his quarry and so he quickly caught up with him when Ichigo slammed to a stop. They were deep in the forest by now and Ichigo stopped with his back to the redhead, a dark aura pulsing around him.

"I don't want to talk about it."

Renji nodded and leaned against the tree. "That's fine. What happened to your hair?"

"Rangiku."

Renji snorted. "It looks good. Her special sake, eh?"

Ichigo turned around and raised an eyebrow. "How did you know?"

Renji pointed to his forehead. "She thought it would look _so awesome_."

Ichigo blinked. "I got out easy I suppose."

Renji smirked. "I like 'em. They hurt like a bitch though when I woke up the next morning with a hangover."

Ichigo grimaced. "Ouch."

Renji nodded. "So you want to tell me why one of the most laid back captains was out for your blood?"

Ichigo sighed. "You're not going to let this go, are you?" when Renji shook his head, Ichigo sighed again. "Alright fine. I assume you know Nanao made me dinner last night?"

Renji nodded. "Of course. She told Matsumoto who told Rukia who told me…"

Ichigo waved his hand. "Yeah, yeah, anyways, dinner was fine…it was, er…well after dinner we…ah…"

Renji's smirk widened. "You lucky dog!"

Ichigo groaned and hid his flaming face in his right hang. "Shut up."

"So that's why Shunsui was after your blood? How'd he even find out? Catch you sneaking out her house this morning…wait…when did Rangiku and her special sake come into the picture?" Renji's face was screwed up in confusion.

Ichigo sighed again and looked anywhere but at the redhead. "She said his name and I walked out."

"Duri-?"

"NO! Why does everyone keep asking that!"

Renji held out his hands placating. "Sorry, sorry. That sucks, man."

"Tell me about it." Ichigo deadpanned.

Meanwhile back at 'ground zero'

Rangiku and Hanataro arrived shortly after Ichigo and Renji left. Rangiku sided up to her captain and handed him a cylindrical object.

"The strong one…" She muttered with a smirk.

He rolled his eyes at her antics before addressing the class and their sensei. "If you will all look this way for a moment, I will try to explain the events that recently took place here."

He waited until every eye was on him before he clicked the memory modifier, smoke engulfing the clearing. His eyes quickly scanned the crowd in front of him, picking out three pairs of eyes that looked more confused than the glazed look of the newly memory modified.

"You and you. Come here. Sensei if you could also join me for a moment." He turned to his vice captain. "Matsumoto, please escort these students back to the academy, I will deal with the rest here."

She nodded before striding over to the seventeen or so still blinking students. "All right, you lot, let's go. March!" the students just stared at her in shock. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared. "I said, MARCH!" they all jumped to attention and started at a swift jog in the direction she had indicated. She turned and flashed a bright smile to the others. "No problem."

Toshiro sighed. "Matsumoto, you pointed them in the wrong direction." He said dryly.

She sucked the corner of her cheek in her mouth and looked towards the disappearing crowd of students. "Oops, maybe I should go turn them around, huh?"

Toshiro's eye twitched which she took to mean 'yes'. She waved goodbye as she started off to herd the students in the right direction.

Toshiro massaged his temple for a second before turning to the three wide-eyed people left. "Names?"

"Ah, Akio Chinen, sir." He bowed low.

"Sumiko Kato, sir" She also bowed.

"And I'm Masakazu Morita."

He studied the three intently. "You, know. I understand why the memory modifier didn't work on the sensei, I just don't understand how it couldn't work on a couple of third years." His eyes narrowed a bit. "But your spiritual pressures are higher than normal third years…"

Hanataro interrupted. "Do you spend any time with Kurosaki?"

Sumiko blinked. "Ah, ye-yes. Nearly everyday."

Hanataro nodded. "That explains it. The guy's still overflowing spiritual power."

"I though we fixed that little problem when we made him where the wristband?"

Hanataro shrugged. "It's just a theory…"

"They're coming." Toshiro said, his eyes flickering to his left.

A few minutes later Ichigo and Renji came tromping through the trees, Ichigo still held Zangetsu in his unsealed form.

"Ah, hi Hanataro." Ichigo said sheepishly as the smaller man glared at him.

Hanataro motioned with his hand for Ichigo to come closer, which the taller man did, hesitantly. "What did you do to yourself this time?"

"I didn't do anything." Ichigo insisted. Hanatara untied the hasty bandage Ichigo had applied to keep his arm still and carefully pulled the edge of his uniform off his shoulders.

"Dislocated." Hanataro shook his head. His eyes locked on Renji. "I'm going to need you to hold him steady." Renji nodded before wrapping arms around Ichigo's uninjured shoulder and waist. Hanataro nodded. "Okay on three I'm going to put your shoulder back in its socket. It's going to hurt." He added.

Ichigo grunted. "Just do it."

"M'Kay," Hanataro gripped Ichigo's arm and shoulder. "One," CRACK.

"OW…what the fuck I thought you said on three?!"

"You would have tensed on three, this way the muscles were relaxed and easier to manipulate." He replied calmly as his hands started glowing with the healing light.

"Ya know, you used to be such a nice, polite guy, what the hell happened to _him_?" Ichigo asked through grit teeth.

"He spent too much time around you and Abarai." Hanataro replied dryly. "There, try and rotate it."

Ichigo complied. "Stiff, but no pain. You're a miracle worker, Hanataro…have I ever told you that?"

Hanataro rolled his eyes. "Not since the last time I pieced you back together." He dusted his hands off and turned back to Toshiro. "Is that all? I'm needed back at fourth."

Toshiro nodded. "Thanks, I appreciate it, and the fact you're keeping this under wraps."

Hanataro shrugged. "It's not the first time I've helped him without the higher ups approval."

"At least we aren't in a sewer this time." Ichigo deadpanned.

Hanataro nodded. "See you guys later." He disappeared a second later.

"Um, so just how are we keeping this from screwing me over?" Ichigo asked hesitantintly. "And why are they still here?"

Toshiro sighed. "They are still here because you still can't keep your spiritual pressure where it should be and you're still affecting those around you. And your cover's fine for the moment. The only ones who would have recognized your spiritual pressure would be the captains."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "And isn't that a problem? I mean, isn't the old man gonna want to execute me or something?'

The short captain shook his head. "The captains couldn't care less. Hell if it were up to us, none of this charade would be going on. The one's who would be mad about today's little display would be the central 46. Fortunately for us, none of them could sense their way out of a paper bag, so we're in the clear. What?" he noticed Ichigo was staring at him strangely.

Ichigo shook his head. "Nothing, just strange is all." He noticed Akio and Sumiko looking at him. "Um, guess you guys are confused, huh?"

"I think that's the understatement of the century." Akio replied.

"Be cautious, Ichigo. A loose tongue can cost lives." His cold eyes flashed. "Theirs."

Ichigo scowled. "They aren't gossips. They can keep secrets."

"Just remember, if they prove to be liabilities…they are your responsibility. Let's go, we need to get back. Seal your zanpakuto, Ichigo." Toshiro said as he turned on his heel.

Ichigo grumbled but quickly sealed Zangetsu back and stomped to the place where he dropped the wristband. "Don't mind him," he said when he noticed Akio's and Sumiko's wide eyes. "He's just a bit…uh, well cold is probably a good adjective. Let's go, I'll explain some when we get back to the dorms."

AN: wow what a long chapter…please review!


	16. Chapter 16

AN: it's kinda short…but I have finals starting this week…moving in a week or so and I think my head might explode sometime so

AN: it's kinda short…but I have finals starting this week…moving in a week or so and I think my head might explode sometime soon…

Chapter 16

Toshiro left Ichigo and the others at the gate and headed towards the eleventh division. He needed an alibi for the upsurge in spiritual pressure that Ichigo and Shunsui caused. He figured he could find one in the third and fifth seats of the division most likely to brawl.

He waded through the lower ranked that were lounging around the courtyard and focused on Yumichika and Ikkaku. He found Ikkaku first, as he was overseeing a training session.

The bald man tilted his head to the side when he caught sight of him. "Come to train, captain?" he asked with a smirk.

Toshiro shook his head. "No. Actually I was wondering if I could talk to you and Ayasegawa for a moment, maybe somewhere a bit more quiet?" he added taking in the large group that were sparring in front of him.

Ikkaku raised an eyebrow but shrugged. Toshiro was unprepared when the bald man cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled into the building behind them. "Oi! YUMICHIKA! Get yer ass out here!"

Toshiro blinked several times and resisted the urge to rub his ears. He was pretty sure he was deaf in his right ear now. It only took about a minute for the fifth seat to stride out of the building, his scowl turning to confusion when he spotted Toshiro.

Ikkaku jerked his head to the side. "We can talk over there, these idiots will be busy for a while," he turned to those who were training. "I'm leaving ya numbskulls for a while, anyone caught slacking, will spar with me next." He smirked as they all seemed to hunker down and work harder.

Toshiro just sighed and wondered if he was mental for asking these two for help.

"So, Captain, whatcha need?" Ikkaku asked, once the sound of sparring died away.

"Well, did you notice the upsurge in spiritual pressure about two hours ago?" both men nodded. "Well, I need the story to be the two of you were sparring and got carried away."

Yumichika looked confused. "Why?"

Toshiro sighed. "Because I have to report to the 46 about the surge and I need a likely cover story."

"So you want us to go spar and knock some trees down or something?" Ikkaku asked.

"No…the trees are already knocked down, I just need you to have the story straight."

"So, we can't go on a rampage through the woods? That kinda sounds like fun…"

Yumichicka sighed at his friend while Toshiro just looked at him like he was nuts. "You will have to excuse Ikkaku, Captain. He has a one track mind." He smiled. "Don't worry, I will make sure the story of mine and Ikkaku's fight will be told beautifully."

His smile faded somewhat as Toshiro turned on his heel and softly knocked the side of his head, mumbling, "Why must I deal with crazy people?"

"What's a matter with him?" Ikkaku asked as the two walked back to the training grounds.

"I think the stress of running two divisions is getting to him…his mind is cracking, so not beautiful."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Toshiro's hands were clenched in tight fists, hidden inside his sleeves as his eyes scanned the forty-six men and women staring at him. He tried to keep the shudders at bay as the after-images of the massacre he had walked into years ago kept flashing before his eyes. He _hated_ this room, and yet the Central 46 insisted on meeting here, so here he was ready to give his report.

"You discovered the reason behind the sudden upsurge in spiritual pressure felt in the District three's forest?" The man in the center seat stared down on him, a condescending look on his face.

Toshiro kept the snarl out of his voice. "Yes, it seems that Division Eleventh's third and fifth seats were sparring and it got a little out of control."

"Out of control?" There were a few murmurs around the chamber.

"Yes, nothing really out of the ordinary. A group of students were on a survival hike and the two groups converged. However, no injures arose and the students were sent back to the academy safely."

"Ichigo Kurosaki was among the group of students, was he not?" Louder murmurs echoed around the room and Toshiro clenched his fists tighter. None of the forty-six trusted Kurosaki and it was apparent every time his name was mentioned.

"Yes, but he played his part flawlessly, you should have no concern over that." Toshiro was proud of his lying abilities.

"You are dismissed."

Toshiro kept all emotion from his face as he bowed and then executed an abrupt about face before striding out the door. He was halfway across the Seireitei before he allowed the scowl to cover his face and his fingers to unclench. He banished all the ghosts that clung to him when he left the chamber, blinding making his way back to his own division, where he was sure Rangiku was lounging on the couch, the paperwork undone. He decided after the way the day had been going, he might join her for a few moments, paperwork be damned.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sumiko and Akio sat on Ichigo's bed as he took a seat on the floor, leaning against the wall. Zangetsu was propped up on his shoulder and Ichigo was drawing strength from the zanpakuto.

He took a deep breath before starting. "So…I guess I should start at the beginning?" they nodded mutely, still a bit shocked. Ichigo nodded. "Well there are some parts I can't tell you, mainly because they are not my stories to tell."

Ichigo leaned his head back and stared at the ceiling. "I never really died. But I guess that's not _exactly_ true. You see…about two, no now more like three years ago, someone walked through my bedroom wall and turned my world on end."

"I had 'dormant' shinigami powers as a human…and I sorta took powers from another shinigami so that I could save my family."

"You took powers from a shinigami? That's a big crime…" Sumiko said softly.

Ichigo scoffed. "Yeah, I know that now. But it was either that, or die…and I wasn't about to let that happen. Time passed, I had my powers taken away again…I needed to go save someone so some idiot decided to punch my soul out of my body and severe my soul chain." His head tilted down when he heard two gasps. "Yeah I know, so I guess that means I'm dead…but my body is still living. It's really complicated."

Akio snorted. "I'll say. You seem to be missing some details."

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "If I put in all the details it would take too long to tell. Anyways, the person I needed to save was in Soul Society so a few of my friends…two humans and a Quincy…"

"Wait, Quincy's are extinct." Sumiko injected.

Ichigo shook his head. "Nah, they aren't extinct…they're both arrogant pricks…but they aren't extinct. Anyways my friends and I invaded the Seireitei, fought a bunch of people, saved the one, and then the shit hit the fan."

"You're one of the ryoka who invaded and killed Captain Aizen, Captain Ichimaru and Captain Tousen?" there was a hard edge to Sumiko's voice.

"Killed one out of three…but the first thing you should realize is that all the rumors you've heard are way off the mark. Lets see…how to explain this without going through all the nitty gritty details?"

AN: review! Pretty please?


	17. Chapter 17

AN: so this chapter is dedicated to Frozen Shattered Roses…I told you I'd use your idea…anyways, actual plot in this chapter

AN: so this chapter is dedicated to Frozen Shattered Roses…I told you I'd use your idea…anyways, actual plot in this chapter! I know, I'm surprised as well. Anywho, enjoy!

Chapter 17

Sumiko jumped to her feet, her face screwed up in anger. "You killed a captain?"

"Ex-captain." Ichigo corrected, not fazed at all by her anger.

"Which one?" Akio asked with morbid curiosity, quite calm in comparison to Sumiko's simmering rage.

Ichigo's face screwed up in a sneer and he snarled. "Aizen."

Akio placed a restraining hand on Sumiko when she seemed intent on rushing at the still seated Ichigo. "What did you mean by the rumors being untrue?"

"Aizen, Ichimaru and Tousen all defected from the Gotei 13; they didn't die from a ryoka invasion. Actually, _I _almost died in the ryoka invasion, several times in fact, while Aizen practically skipped his merry way to Heuco Mundo."

"Why should we believe you?" Sumiko spat.

Ichigo let out a humorless laugh. "Why the hell else do you think I'd be here instead of dead? Why do you think Toshiro was so intent on me keeping my cover? And Hantaro healing me without questions? Renji running after me, like the fool he is? How do you think I even _know _all of these people? The story that I met Renji and Rukia before they went to the academy is bullshit. I met Rukia as I shoved her zanpakuto through my heart and Renji…well Renji and I tried to kill each other the first few times we met. They are my comrades, my friends, and my family. Aizen…" Ichigo swallowed the emotion in his voice. "Aizen tried to take all of that away. I have no regrets in his death. He was a power hungry ego-manic bent on ruling as god over everyone else, who didn't care who he went through to get what he wanted." Sumiko and Akio were dumbstruck at Ichigo's tone and words.

"He created an army, stockpiled a fortress, and launched attacks. The thirteen squads were down three captains and ill prepared for a war on such a scale that Aizen was launching." Ichigo clenched his fists in his lap and bowed his head. "And then…he took someone important from me." He looked up and fixed them with an intense stare. "The pain he caused her was unforgivable. I was going to get her back…by myself if I had too. But I didn't even get out of the living world without my two comrades bitching about how I was going to hog all of the fun."

He rubbed his jaw in memory. "Then two crazy nutcases followed, demanding to know why I left them out of the plans. We managed to find her and get her out of that hell-hole. The real war erupted soon after that." His eyes stared off as memories started to flood his mind. "From skirmishes on the sands of Heuco Mundo to the few in the real world, we tried to push Aizen's minions back. Comrades were lost, injuries were sustained, but we continued to push forward."

Ichigo didn't even notice Akio and Sumiko were back to sitting on his bed, eyes wide and mouths slack as they listened intently. Ichigo took a deep breath. "We decided on a course of action; we couldn't just keep defending, we needed to go on the offence. Grimmjow, an arrancar, owed me one."

"What's an arrancar?" the voice was hesitant, as though he didn't really want to interrupt Ichigo's flow of words.

Ichigo just turned his gaze from the window to Akio. "An arrancar is a hollow that has gained shinigami powers. It is what Aizen built his army out of. Grimmjow was the sixth strongest…the Sexta espada. We fought…a couple of times actually. But I won the last fight, and I didn't kill him. He didn't really like Aizen anyways." Ichigo added as an after thought. "Anyways, I got him to work with me, Toshiro and Byakuya. He masked our spiritual pressures with his own and snuck us into Las Noches. While other members of our squad launched a frontal attack on the compound, we launched an attack from the inside."

His eyes grew dark and his hands fisted once more in his lap. "We killed them. That's all that needs to be told."

"Why is none of this known?" Sumiko asked quietly. "Why were we told to honor the three captains that fell?"

"The central 46 decided that it would not be good for public morale if it was known that three captains defected and waged a war. They also memory modified anyone they could and sealed all documents and accounts dealing with the war. That's why I'm stuck here instead of in one of the thirteen squads already. They had to explain my being here as I could no longer stay in the living world…ergo I became an academy student forced to wear a spiritual pressure depressor and pretend I've never fought for my own life or the life of others before." He leaned his head back against the wall. "So do you believe me or are you going to become my 'responsibilities'?"

"I believe you." Akio said with no hesitation. "If you were really the bad guy in this scenario I doubt you would be able to just hang around the academy without others knowing."

Both males turned to look at Sumiko. She bit her lip before smirking. "I believe you, blockhead. Just all a bit hard to take in at once you know?"

Ichigo laughed. "You have no idea."

They were silent for a few minutes, each lost to their own thoughts. Akio broke the silence. "So you wanna explain why that captain was out for your blood this morning?"

Ichigo groaned. "Not really, no." He buried his face in his hands. He mumbled something incoherent.

"Huh?" Sumiko asked, a smile tugging at her lips.

Ichigo picked his head up and glared. "I said, I bet you won't let this go either."

Sumiko shook her head. "Nope so you might as well tell us."

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Toshiro had been right; Rangiku was lying on the couch and by the mountain of paperwork on his desk, he figured she had been there the entire time she had been in the office. His entrance caused her to lift her head and look at him, concern clear on her face.

He shut the door behind him as she rose to her feet and guided him back to the couch, her hands on his shoulders. After they sat, her fingers worked beneath the cloth to knead his tense shoulder muscles.

"I hate that place." He said, venom clear in his voice.

She hmmed. "I know. Why do you think I avoid that place like the plague? And Kira won't go anywhere near it. He sends his third seat if he has any business with the 46."

"The chairman just gives me the creeps." Toshiro added. "He's got this 'holier-than-thou' and 'I'm-better-than-you' attitude that is just grating."

"He's who the four noble houses picked, we're stuck with him."

"That's the thing." Toshiro said slowly. "Did you ever notice that every member of the new 46 is at least a lesser noble? Not one of them are from any district lower than four." Rangiku's hands stilled as he turned to face her. "Even old man Hideyoshi, the tactical and diplomatic genius, was denied a spot. The only dark spot on his record that I could see to keep him out of the 46 was he was from the 65th district."

"Interesting." Rangiku said, her brows furrowed as she absorbed that thought.

"Hn." Toshiro stood causing Rangiku's hands to fall from his shoulders. "I should try and make a dent in that mountain of paper on my desk."

"I'll make you some tea." She said sweetly.

He rolled his eyes. "Thanks. Somehow I think you just want to get out of doing paperwork."

Her eyes widened with a look of mock innocence. "Me? Captain, whatever would cause you to think that of me?"

Toshiro just shook his head as he sat down behind his desk. "You might as well make an entire pot, I have a feeling I will be here for a while."

AN: please review!!


	18. Chapter 18

AN: so…this chapter completely ran away with me

AN: so…this chapter completely ran away with me. I sat down, a plan/outline firmly in mind…ten minutes in the plan flew out the window…I blame my muse…

Ah, and cookies to anyone who can guess where I stole the sensei's name from…

And I should totally be studying…but I studied all day and packed, cuz I'm also moving shortly…I think I deserved a break, don't you? Btw, I want to thank everyone that's been reviewing, I don't say it often enough. I try to respond if you ask a question…(unless its about whats gonna happen next) and if I missed your question…PM me, I'm more likely to remember…now on to the story!

Chapter 18

The next day when Ichigo stumbled down to breakfast, he was slightly surprised to hear a few students from his hike the day before talking about how the two guys from the eleventh almost killed them. He just shook his head and continued on to the table where he could see Sumiko's blonde head of hair.

"Morning." He grunted, slumping into the chair beside Akio.

Sumiko clucked at him. "You only have like, two minutes to eat before we have to head to class." Her eyes narrowed as she took in his appearance. He looked like he didn't sleep at all the night before. "Did you sleep at all last night?" she asked in concern.

Ichigo propped his elbow on the table to hold his head up. "Nightmares." He said shortly before yawning widely.

Just as Sumiko predicted, the bell tolled signaling the start of the first class only minutes after Ichigo took his seat. As soon as he entered the classroom he noticed the sensei staring at him. He merely grit his teeth and figured short of gouging the man's eyes out, which Shiro was totally in favor of, he didn't have many options.

The class started just as it always did, but then the sensei set them to working in pairs with the wooden staffs before tapping Ichigo on the shoulder and motioning him to follow him out of the room.

Ichigo complied, but scowled and entertained his former homicidal thoughts as he did so. "Can I help you with something?" he asked tersely, failing to keep his annoyance out of his voice.

"I have to ask, is your poor swordsmanship also part of the act, or do you really just rely on brute strength?"

Ichigo blinked. That wasn't exactly what he had been expecting. "What?"

Morita rolled his eyes. "I noticed with your little 'spar' the other day…Even when you seemed to forget you had some cover to keep, you still fought like a berserker."

"Hey." Ichigo said indignantly. "I do not fight like a berserker…"

Morita didn't even seem to hear him. He tilted his head to the side and asked. "Have you ever had any formal training?"

"Uh…" Ichigo thought about when Urahara 'trained' him by trying to kill him and how Zangetsu practically did the same thing. Shinji could probably be added to the list of 'Sensei's who've tried to kill me' but he didn't really have anything to do with Zangetsu.

Morita nodded. "I thought so. And you won't learn anything in these classes if you can't concentrate on things other than trying to keep whatever cover that your trying to keep." Ichigo's eyes narrowed, but Morita raised a hand. "I don't care about your past or why you're trying to keep a cover. I do care that a student is getting inadequate teaching, especially a student who seems to need it." He smirked as Ichigo's scowl deepened.

"So," he said briskly, "I've decided to take you under my wing." His smile widened and Ichigo just stared in confusion. "Meet me in the third building on the left at midnight tonight and we'll see just how much work I've gotten myself into." He turned on his heel and re-entered the classroom, leaving Ichigo to wonder just what the hell happened.

Ichigo cursed fate as he speed through the shadows, making his way stealthily towards the meeting place. He slipped in the door to see Morita already stretching, a thin bladed zanpakuto by his side. He looked up and smiled at Ichigo's entrance.

"Stretch, then we'll see what you're made of."

Ichigo's scowl deepened as he rotated joints and stretched tendons. Eventually, Morita stood and unsheathed his thin katana. Ichigo eyed the weapon dubiously as he pulled Zangetsu from his back.

Morita seemed to chuckle as he picked up on Ichigo's skeptism. "Don't underestimate an opponent." He warned. His eyes flickered to the band still wrapped around Ichigo's wrist. "Take that off."

Ichigo shrugged and pulled the band with his teeth. He had to admit it felt ten times better with it off; he couldn't understand how Kenpachi would voluntarily wear his eye patch all the time.

He was a bit impressed when Morita didn't even flinch as his spiritual pressure surged, then settled to _his_ normal levels. Actually the man didn't seem fazed at all. Ichigo raised an eyebrow at the still grinning man.

"Oh, and one more thing, everything that happens in this room, stays in this room. You're not the only one with secrets." He flipped his blade from hand to hand before crouching into a defensive stance. "Let's begin."

Ichigo had to admit, the man was an excellent swordsman. It was strange; Ichigo never really felt high levels of spiritual pressure coming off of him in the year or so he had been his student, but now he figured Morita had to be captain level at least. It wasn't an oppressive spiritual pressure like one would find coming off Byakuya, nor the untamed spiritual pressure of most of the eleventh. It was controlled, almost obsessively so, as if Morita knew the exact amount he wished to release.

They fought for several minutes before Morita called. "Shikai." They separated and Ichigo quickly unsealed Zangetsu and watched as Morita's blade glowed a dull blue and grew in length before curving slightly. Ichigo noticed the lack of Morita calling out his zanpakuto's name.

They collided again in the center of the room and continued. Ichigo noticed that Morita seemed to always know his next move; it was really starting to grate on his nerves as every attack was parried away, Morita's grin never leaving his face.

Slowly Ichigo felt himself falling more to instincts, a habit he had when he started to get frustrated with a fight. The truth of the matter was, most of his sparring partners were of the 'smash and bash' mentality, not very tactical. But the more Ichigo fought instinctively, the easier Morita could read his movements.

Eventually, Morita executed a complicated move in response to Ichigo's and before Ichigo knew what was happening, he was standing with Morita's zanpakuto under his chin, the man's grin never faltering.

Morita stepped back, barely breathing hard while Ichigo was panting and glaring holes through the sensei's skull. "Better than I expected." His eyes narrowed as he studied Ichigo. He nodded once before sealing his zanpakuto and sheathing it.

"How?" Ichigo asked, still a bit fazed.

Morita chuckled. "You fight like an animal." When Ichigo growled at this Morita rolled his eyes. "That wasn't an insult, idiot. I just meant you fight like a predator…but you don't plan anything. You don't watch for the other's moves and counter with ones that will be the most advantageous. I'll admit, you're good, but if you learned how to bring you're brain to the fight alongside your instinct…you could be…very good."

Ichigo crossed his arms over his chest and scowled sulkily. "Why does it even matter? Why do you care so much?"

The grin slipped from Morita's face and he became extremely serious. "Just because Aizen's dead doesn't mean you can relax your guard."

Ichigo's eyes widened as he gripped Zangetsu tighter. "How do you know about that?"

Morita tilted his head to the side. "I have good ears and am easily overlooked. Besides, memory modifiers don't work on me." His lips curved up into a lopsided smile. "Relax, if I wanted you dead, I would have killed you in you're sleep…much more my style." His grin was full force by this time and Ichigo was staring at him as if he was nuts. "Besides, I said I don't care about you're past…and that's partly true anyways." He walked towards the still tense Ichigo. As he passed by him, he slowed and placed a hand on the younger man's shoulder.

"Go get some sleep, Kurosaki. You look like you need some. I'll see you here again in three days time." With that, the dark haired man left the building, leaving Ichigo confused and exhausted.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Chapter 19

In the six weeks that followed that strange midnight meeting Ichigo decided that Morita must have a split personality. How anyone could be so different for three to four hours at night from the rest of the day boggled Ichigo's mind. But he wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth. He had just been bemoaning the fact that his training was slacking and here comes along a decent sensei. Even if he was slightly unhinged, he did know what he was doing.

He yawned widely as he made his way through the steady throng of students to his dorm room. He was glad he didn't have 'lessons' with Morita tonight, but he wasn't looking forward to the long paper he needed to write on Military Law; definitely not one of his favorite subjects.

He was distracted with that thought as he opened the door to his room. His eyes widened at the figure standing by his open window. He shut the door behind him with his foot before stalking towards the window.

"I should learn to lock my damn window." He said as he slammed the window down, rattling the glass pane.

"Ichigo I just…"

Ichigo leaned against the opposite wall and he felt his face soften without his consent. "What is it Nanao?"

She bit her lip nervously and looked at the ground. "I wanted to apologize…I never meant to hurt you…" She looked up and he caught the sight of tears hiding beneath her lashes.

He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, noting that he needed a haircut. He forced a smile. "I'm fine. Really." His eyes filled with concern when he noticed her ashen face. "Are you okay?" He helped her to the bed where she sat biting her lip.

She nodded. He didn't seem to believe her. "Should I take you to fourth?"

She shook her head, finally finding her voice. "I was there two days ago."

Ichigo's eyes widened and his face now was filled with concern. "You are sick, come on, I'll drag you to fourth if I have to." He stood up to prove his threat.

Nanao shook her head, keeping her gaze locked on the floor. "I'm not sick, Ichigo."

"But then…?" Ichigo's brows creased in confusion.

"I'm pregnant."

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"Um, captain?"

Renji looked up from his mountain of paperwork and tried to focus bleary eyes on the man in front of him. "What is it Kira?" he managed to hide the yawn that threatened to crack his jaw.

"Well, I just got our promotion recommendations back…" the blonde was staring at a file as if it was written in a foreign language.

This grabbed Renji's attention. "What is it?"

Kira looked up and swallowed. "Out of the seventeen we recommended for promotion, ten were denied."

Renji's mouth fell open. "Denied? That's not possible…" he rose from his seat and crossed the short distance between the two so he could look at he file in the blonde's hands. "What the hell?" His eyes narrowed as he looked over the list before he took the file and snapped it shut. "I have to go somewhere for a few hours, hold down the fort while I'm gone."

Kira nodded as Renji slipped out of the office. Renji's mind was whirling as he tried to remember to walk calmly. It took him longer than he wanted to reach the tenth division, but he tried to keep his actions calm as he entered the office. Toshiro looked up from his mountain of paperwork and Rangiku sat up on the couch.

"Can I help you with something?" Toshiro asked courteously, even as his hand never stilled over the paper in front of him.

Renji nodded once, before closing the door. "I was wondering if you have received your promotion recommendation reports back."

Toshiro raised an eyebrow and turned to Rangiku who got up from the couch and started rummaging through the piles on her desk. "Aha! Here it is…and here's the one for fifth." She held the two files out for Toshiro to take.

He flipped the first file open and stared at it. And stared. And stared some more. "What the…?" He seemed to forget he had an audience. He quickly ripped open the second file and his eyes narrowed. He growled quietly, causing even Rangiku to look surprised.

"Um, captain?"

"Sixteen denied from fifth, and twelve denied from ours. All denied solely by the 46. _And_ at the end of this report there is a written suggestion for promotion." His face curled into a sneer. "As if they know _my_ squad better than me!"

Rangiku sighed. "This is getting…troublesome. Did they give reasons?"

Toshiro shook his head. "No…but if you notice, every single one that was approved came from the 'good' districts."

Renji's eyes widened and he flipped open the file he had in his hands. "You're right." He said with astonishment. "I hadn't even noticed."

"Hn." Toshiro crossed his arms over his chest and stared off into space, his brain working overtime. "I wonder…" he snapped his eyes to see Rangiku smiling at him. "No."

She snorted. "You are so overprotective. I'm good at this stuff…"

His eyes narrowed while Renji looked back and forth between the two, obviously missing something. "What are you talking about?"

Rangiku's smile widened. "He doesn't want me going to find out if the other squads also had promotions denied."

"If the 46 caught wind of this…"

"They won't." She assured. She passed Renji with a wink. "You could talk to Byakuya for me right? Him and Soifon are probably the only ones who I can't fool into giving up information." She looked wistful. "Ah, we all have our obstacles."

"If you get caught…" Toshiro warned, threats poised on his tongue.

She waved a hand in the air. "I know, you'll kill me…yada yada yada." She disappeared with a swirl of strawberry blonde hair.

Toshiro watched her go before shaking his head and returning to his paperwork. "She's going to be the death of me. At least her methods of getting out of paperwork are becoming more creative."

"Gotta give her an A for persistence." Renji admitted before sliding the door open to leave. "I'll talk to you later."

Toshiro merely waved a hand in goodbye, his mind already focusing on something else.

AN: yeah, so I'm so totally spoiling ya'll by daily updates, but here's why…in about a week, I'm gonna be gone for about two and a half weeks with no computer or internet… ya might get a couple more chapters before I leave, we'll see…you'll get one more for sure, I'm not so mean to leave you with such a big cliffhanger…btw, who didn't see _that_ coming?


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Chapter 20

"What?" Ichigo asked, sure she hadn't heard her right.

"I'm pregnant. I'm not here asking for help…I…I just thought you should know…" She finally tore her eyes away from the interesting spot on the floor to see how he was reacting. "Um, Ichigo…you are remembering to breath, right?"

Ichigo blinked in response.

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Stripped to the waist, Byakuya was training in a wood paneled room off his main wing in the Kuchiki mansion. The kenseiken absent, his hair was pulled up on his head.

Sweat ran down his back as he swung his training sword in a graceful arch. He didn't miss a beat as he became aware of his brother in law watching him, obviously hesitant to interrupt.

"Can I assist you with something?"

"Um, well…I was kinda hoping to talk to you about something…"

"Yes?" Byakuya's voice was steady, not betraying any interest.

"You see…the thing is…um…" he fidgeted and scratched the side of this head.

"Renji."

Renji started as he heard his given name hit his ears. "Ye-yes?"

Byakuya turned so that he was facing the stuttering redhead. "Just say whatever it is." He crossed over to the wall and pulled the towel hanging there to wipe the sweat from his face.

"Right." He took a deep breath. "Have you received your promotion recommendation reports back?'

Byakuya's face did not change expression. "Yes."

"Were there any, um…denied?"

Byakuya blinked. "Why would there be?"

"Because I've had ten denied, Hitsugaya had several denied from both the tenth and fifth divisions…Matsumoto is discreetly checking with the other squads. All that were denied, were denied by the 46."

The smallest of wrinkles appeared in Byakuya's brow. "Were there reasons listed?"

Renji shook his head. "The only linking factor that Hitsugaya could find was that they were all from a, ah well, lesser background."

Sharp grey eyes drilled into Renji's. "Do you know the reason it took so long for you to be promoted to Captain?"

Renji blinked a few times at the change in subject, but shrugged. "I didn't realize it 'took so long' frankly."

"The Central 46 had reservations about you being placed in that position. It took some time to convince them otherwise." He seemed deep in thought for a few seconds, something Renji was not willing to interrupt. "I will look into this." He finally said.

Renji bowed slightly before backing out of the room. "I will see you at dinner?"

Byakuya nodded once. "Of course. And Renji…"

Renji stopped and looked over his shoulder, back at the man who was already turned away from him, training sword back in hand. "Yes?"

"There is no reason to bother Rukia with any of this…"

Renji nodded even though he knew the noble wouldn't be able to see him. "Of course not." He turned and left the man to his training.

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"You're pregnant." Ichigo took a deep breath. "I think I need to sit." He said absently as he blindly sat on the edge of the bed, Nanao's concerned eyes on him.

"You don't have to worry about anything, I'm not here to demand you…"

"Shut up for a second." Nanao shut her mouth with a snap. Ichigo took another deep breath while running his fingers through his hair. "Pregnant…a kid…I'm gonna," He turned and looked at her mixed emotions buried deep within his amber eyes. "Be a father?"

She nodded, not quite sure if he would start yelling now that it finally sunk in enough. She was more than shocked when the corner of his mouth lifted.

"Ha. A father…" He was back to staring into space, an awed expression on his face. His smile grew and he turned to focus on her again. She could finally place the emotion on his face; happiness. "I'm going to be a father."

He reached a hand forward and brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face. "Thank you." His brow wrinkled in confusion at her confused expression. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

She shook her head slightly. "No, I'm fine…I just am surprised…I thought you would be upset, mad at me or something." She averted her eyes, sure that his would turn accusing.

She was surprised when a gentle hand cupped her chin, causing her face to lift and meet his eyes again. "Why would I be mad at you? True this is unexpected…and a bit…scary." He winced at the word. "But it took the both of us to create this life, of course I want to be apart of it." He ran his thumb across her cheek, wiping away the stubborn tears.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him, her head resting on his chest. "So who knows?"

His voice reverberated through his chest to Nanao's ear. "Just Unohana, me and now you." She said softly, her eyes drifting closed. "I wanted to tell you first."

"Hn." Ichigo shifted so that they were mostly lying on his bed, Nanao curled on top of him. "How should we go about telling people?"

"I don' know." She slurred, already drifting off.

Ichigo chuckled softly. "Hey, don't pass out on me…we gotta figure this stuff out."

"Can't ya let a pregnant girl sleep? Haven't slept well in…six weeks." She admitted, a hand fisted in the front of his shirt.

"Nanao?" Ichigo asked softly, tipping her chin up so that she would look him in the eyes.

"Hm?"

"Do you still love him?" Ichigo forced the words past his lips, trying to squash the flash of guilt when her eyes filled with regret and pain.

A determined look set in her features and she matched his gaze, with interest. "No." she answered confidently.

Ichigo nodded once before tightening his hold on her. She tucked her head underneath his chin and her breathing started to even out. Ichigo let the steady rhythm of her heart lull him to sleep; his Military Law paper not even a blip on his radar of thought.

AN: NOTICE!! I'm gonna be gone for about two weeks…be back the day after memorial day. I know this chapter is kinda short, but as I promised a chapter before I left…(and I still have packing, not to mention a paper to write…sigh) …but never fear! I always do my best work after I've been gone for awhile…it's cuz while I work, I work out plotlines…keeps me from goin loca. Anywho…review! Pretty please?


	21. Chapter 21

AN: so I got mixed reviews about the last chapter and I have to say personally I thought it was horrendous…that always happens

AN: so I got mixed reviews about the last chapter and I have to say personally I thought it was horrendous…that always happens when I give myself a deadline…anyways now I have all the way to the ending worked out so updates should start being regular again; I hope.

On with the story!

Chapter 21

It was the type of hole-in-the-wall bar that catered to those whose business was on the wrong side of legal. The bartender was unsurprised to see a cloaked figure in the corner table, his barely touched glass sitting in front of him. It was common enough for under the table deals and conspiracies to be hashed out in his shadowed corner tables.

If the bartender had to guess, the man was of aristocratic birth, simply by the stiff way he was sitting and the way he held his glass. The sword belted at his waist spoke volumes as well. The other patrons were keeping a wide berth.

The door opened and a slight figure, also hooded, blew in with the cool night air. He made a beeline for the corner table and the bartender quickly sent the serving girl to get the drink orders.

The shorter man sat and waved the girl away in the same motion, balancing his sword against his side.

"Is this entirely necessary?" Grey eyes drilled into teal as soon as the girl was out of hearing distance.

A sigh could be heard from under the newcomer's hood. "I didn't want to be overheard. The walls of the Seireitei have ears, as you well know."

Pale fingers drummed the surface of the knotted wood table. "Yes they do indeed. And what have they told you lately?"

"Nothing good. Something is going on…I just don't have enough information yet. I have something else that's a bigger priority. Have you noticed the increased…curiosity…a certain clown faced bastard has for our orange haired friend?" He lifted his head slightly and raised a pale eyebrow to emphasize his meaning.

"It could be troublesome, but what do you suggest?" he eloquently raised the cup to his lips and contemplated his companion over the rim.

"We need to get him somewhere we can keep an eye on him."

"I might have an idea." An uncharacteristic smirk lifted the side of his mouth. "But I doubt he will like it."

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Ichigo woke with a twisted feeling of unease in his gut. He wasn't normally a superstitious man, or one to put much stock in premonitions. However he couldn't quite shake the feeling that _something_ was going to go very wrong, very soon.

He chalked it up to finding out his ex-girlfriend…maybe girlfriend again…was having his baby. That would shake any man's nerve at least a little. He sat on the edge of his bed with his head in his hands and slowly rubbed his temples.

He hadn't lied to her before…he was happy. But then he started to think about all of the complications that would come with it. He already had the 46 breathing down his neck about appearances, Toshiro was breaking, well circumventing rules to help him out of tight spaces and Shunsui wanted his head on a platter.

Add that to the fact that he was nineteen and shared his soul with a hollow…

He groaned as he stood up and started to pull on his student uniform. No wonder he felt uneasy. Luckily he and Nanao decided to keep the pregnancy to themselves for the time being so he had time to figure that out.

As he walked through the cafeteria he noticed a buzz of conversation throughout the room. He ducked into his place beside Sumiko and asked around the piece of bread in his mouth, "What's everyone talking about?"

"There was an announcement a few minutes ago. After our second hour classes, everyone fourth year and up are having an assembly."

Ichigo's gut twisted a little tighter and he suddenly lost his appetite. "What about?"

Akio shrugged as Sumiko was too busy yelling at someone who just lobbed a piece of bread at their neighbor, missed, and narrowly hit her blonde head. "No clue, strange though. I think I saw a few captains outside in the main courtyard earlier…that's what's got everybody talking."

Ichigo fidgeted with the band around his wrist and subtlety, at least for him, felt out for the other spiritual pressure signatures in the area.

The first one was easy enough to place. Byakuya's signature was very unique and one Ichigo was very used to. He recoiled away from the second one. There was just something about Mayuri that unnerved him, and probably with good reason. The third and fourth took him a few minutes but he eventually recognized Soifon and Komamura.

A snap of fingers in front of his face brought him back to the table. Akio was laughing at his dazed expression.

"The bell just rang, you want to go to class or do you just want to sit there and stare at the wall all day?"

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Let's go."

Class passed slowly and Ichigo tried to push the assembly and the four captains from his mind, with little success.

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Toshiro was perched on the edge of his roof and watched the edge of the sun break the horizon. Sunrise or sunset; it didn't really matter, there was something about the feeling of change that captivated him.

He took a deep breath and contemplated the two problems that seem to circle his head like vultures. He started to lay out the facts in his mind's eye, noting the blank spots as he tried to connect the dots.

At the center of the problem was the Central 46. They were exerting their power more and more lately. A dot labeled 'denied promotions' linked up with the main point while other dots labeled 'increased hostilities in the districts' and 'assistance denied' were added.

He rubbed his temples. There were just too many holes and blanks to make any type of assessment. He needed more information.

His mind changed directions and focused on the other problem. This one was lit up in neon letters labeled 'Kurosaki.' At least this problem had more filled in dots…not that it made the problem any less troublesome.

There was one that he could add… 'Mayuri'. The freakish twelfth division had started dropping little comments about Kurosaki that had the alarm bells ringing in Toshiro's head.

The thing was, Mayuri knew about Ichigo's hollow. Everyone had heard him complaining that not a single arrancar had been captured alive and the few that remained in Las Noches after the fall were not willing to be test subjects. The Vizard were hidden away somewhere and also not willing to be test subjects. Therefore all of Mayuri options at 'half-breed' specimens had been reduced to one – Ichigo Kurosaki.

It wouldn't be such a problem if Toshiro thought the Central 46 would deny Mayuri his request but he wasn't one hundred percent sure they would. The 46 were scared of Ichigo. Not that they knew about his soul's status, but simply because he was powerful and had already shown the tendency to throw the rulebook out the window whenever he saw fit.

He sighed as the last of the sun broke the horizon. Standing up, he left his perch and headed for the office carefully filing away the problems to the back of his mind. His eyes turned in the direction he knew the academy was and sent up a prayer for his friend. He added another for Byakuya when he remembered just what was going on there today.

AN: so that was better than the last chapter…but I think the ending went a little 'spalt'…oh well…review if ya wanna…


	22. Chapter 22

AN: first off, this chapter is short…can't be helped unless you wanted to wait another week for an update

AN: first off, this chapter is short…can't be helped unless you wanted to wait another week for an update. I was going to update yesterday…but I was busy reading The Host by Stephanie Meyer…I read it all in one sitting. 9 hours in the same position really didn't make me want to bend over a computer keyboard. It's a great book, you really should go out and get you a copy…made me cry.

Anyway enjoy what little I could mange to squeeze out of my brain!

Chapter 22

Ichigo was trying to hide just how creeped out he was that Mayuri kept staring at him while at the same time listen to the old bald sensei that was speaking. There had to be a little under three hundred students crammed into the meeting space, yet those freaky eyes wouldn't quit staring at him.

A small shudder escaped through his control and Sumiko looked at him out of the corner of his eye. He shook his head to dismiss her concerns and focused on the speaker once again.

"…learning experience for most of the younger years, but those of you in sixth or seventh year should take this test very seriously. Being admitted early into one of the squads is an honor…"

Ichigo's focus drifted again, this time settling on the stoic sixth division captain. Unlike Mayuri, Byakuya seemed to not even notice he existed in this dimension, much less in this room.

Soifon was standing to his right, looking bored out of her mind. Komamura was withstanding the usual stares with an indifference that Ichigo admired. All four captains were here to assess the student population (fourth year and up) to see if any showed the potential for advanced placement.

According to the speaker, this hadn't taken place in years. The squads had depended on the sensei's to bring exemplary students to their attention. This was a 'privilege' that four 'outstanding' captains had taken time out of their busy day to observe in person.

Ichigo snorted. Privilege, eh? Ichigo had a feeling it was more than that. The fact that Mayuri was looking at him like he was a piece of meat, and Byakuya wouldn't look at him at all, meant something fishy was going on.

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Ichigo was torn between wanting to beat his annoying opponent senseless, and the need to look like a normal fourth year student. He had come out on top in the fourth year trails and now was being pitted against upper years. Now he wished he had just taken a dive in the first match…but his pride wouldn't let him.

Now _annoyance_ and pride were causing his hits to be a little stronger than if he was thinking clearly. His opponent was pig-faced and loudmouthed, without a graceful bone in his body. His audience of sensei's and the captains didn't help either.

Therefore, only seven minutes into the match, Ichigo lost patience and slammed the practice sword against the side of his opponent's head causing said opponent to hit the ground with a thud.

The referee called the match to an end and Ichigo walked to the edge of the makeshift ring, not even breathing hard. His eyes wandered to the two other rings; set up with a platform in-between them for the captains to watch from.

"That was great." Akio tossed him a bottle of water as he made his way through the mob of students still milling around.

Ichigo nearly drained the bottle before replying. "Thanks. Might have overdid it." He looked over his shoulder to see his opponent being carried away on a stretcher.

"Maybe." Sumiko appearing at Akio side replied dryly. "At least you just have Kido left." Her face turned smug. "I aced my Kido test, of course." Akio and Ichigo rolled their eyes.

"I don't have to worry about that until tomorrow." Ichigo's eyes caught on the retreating backs of the four captains. He had caught a glimpse of _something_ in Byakuya's gaze the first time he walked into the match ring, but he hadn't been able to deceiver it. Was he supposed to do well? Or hide his true potential? It would be nice if someone actually explained something for once instead of just tossing him in and hoping he didn't drown.

"He-ey. Ya in there?" Sumiko tapped the side of Ichigo's head, disrupting his thoughts. When he glared at her, she just laughed. "Do you want to eat or not?"

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It wasn't till after his Kido test, in which he thankfully didn't blow himself up, and the rest of the exams were winding down did he think that maybe he was being paranoid. Not everything revolved around him; maybe this was just what the sensei said it was; a way for the captains to examine the student's potential. Toshiro had mentioned the holes that still littered every squad and the fact that recruitment was down; maybe this was just a way to quickly fill the blank spots.

He held firm to that thought until Mayuri cornered him in the alleyway between the main building and the dorms.

"Ah, Kurosaki. How has the Academy been treating you?"

Ichigo could barely suppress the shudder. "It's fine." He looked over the clown's shoulder, seeking an escape. "I'm sorry but I think I see…"

"And how is Nanao doing? Better I hope? I had heard she had to visit the fourth division the other day…"

Ichigo felt his world drop away from his feet. Ice filled his veins as he took in the very smug and knowing look on the clown's face. Rage slowly melted the ice in his veins and his breath started to come in quick gasps.

Mayuri didn't look surprised or concerned with Ichigo's sadden change in emotions. In fact he was watching the emotions play across the young face across from him in silent curiosity.

Sense finally returned to Ichigo when he realized he couldn't kill the captain here; in broad daylight in front of witnesses. He unclenched his teeth. "She is just fine." He hissed.

Mayuri's eyes widened slightly, knowingly infuriating the young man further. "Oh, really? Well that is very good to hear." He smiled somewhat cruelly. "You know, there is a good chance you will be placed in a squad after this examination. Wouldn't it be _entertaining_ if it was twelfth?"

A dark look passed through Ichigo's eyes. "I already told you my answer to that." His voice was low and dangerous.

Mayuri smiled and nodded before stepping aside to let Ichigo pass. "Of course…maybe soon though I will have another subject." He threw the words at the retreating back.

It took absolute willpower to not turn back and rip Mayuri to shreds with his bare hands. He could feel Shiro clawing and screaming in rage just below the surface of his skin. He had to get away, before he let all hell break loose.

One thought blocked everything else from his mind – Mayuri knew about the child.


	23. Chapter 23

AN: nuthin' to say 'cept, enjoy…

AN: nuthin' to say 'cept, enjoy…..

Chapter 23

The cool night air blew threw the open window but Ichigo didn't notice the raised goose bumps appearing on his skin. His mind kept replaying the encounter with the twelfth division captain. His initial rage and panic had been washed away, leaving calm logic.

One of the things that had stuck with him after the war is that you shouldn't go in half cocked and blinded with rage. So he was sitting on the floor, facing the window, and contemplating all of his options.

As much as he wished he could, he couldn't just kill the bastard. That would solve one problem but cause quite a few more. They would want to know why he killed off the weirdo and Ichigo doubted the excuse 'because he's a creepy ass clown' would fly with the 46. Nor could he tell them the truth.

'Yer overthinkin' King. Jus' go kill 'im already.'

Ichigo rolled his eyes and then glared at the wispy white form lounging on his bed. "What are you doing?"

Shiro sat up on one elbow and raised his eyebrows innocently. "Me? Nothin' at all."

"You shouldn't be just appearing." Ichigo sighed and leaned his head back against the wall. "You'll get me killed."

Shiro snorted. "Eh, I'd like to see 'em try."

"No thanks." He rubbed the heels of his hands in his eyes. "Grrrrr. There's no helping it. When you need an idiotic yet brilliant plan, you got to have the brilliant idiot."

"Urgh, yer kiddin' right?"

Ichigo shook his head. "Nope. Question is…how do we get to the idiot?"

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"ICHIGO! Hey, Ichigo!" Ichigo ducked instinctively as Sumiko came flying down the hallway, knocking past the sane people in her way. It was still early enough that most everyone was on their way to breakfast.

"What is it?" He held a hand out to prevent her from bowling him over. Akio just walked up slowly behind her, a smirk on his face as he watched Ichigo try and fend off an excited Sumiko.

"You made it!"

He just stared at her for several seconds. "I made what?"

She rolled her eyes. "The squad advancements." She said it slowly, as if she wasn't sure he was all there this morning.

She noticed he was still in a daze so she pushed him towards the large bulletin board set up outside the dining room. His eyes blurred over the words and she finally just sighed and pointed to the middle of the board.

"Sixth?" He couldn't help the confusion in his voice. "Why the fuck…" But his mutterings were cut off.

"Isn't it cool? You're the only fourth year to be accepted! Why aren't you happy?" Her eyes narrowed as she took in his thoughtful expression before they darted around the rapidly growing crowd. She grabbed his wrist and drug him away out into the bright sunshine and relative silence of the courtyard, Akio following right behind them.

She released his wrist as they walked toward the shade of one of the larger trees. She allowed him to stew in silence for a few minutes before she couldn't take it anymore.

"Okay, what the hell is wrong with you? I thought you wanted out of here? Wasn't that what you were complaining about before, that you were stuck here because they didn't have anywhere to put you? Well now you have a place…so be happy already!" she added a smack to the back of his head for emphasis.

Ichigo glared at her and rubbed the back of his head. As she just glared right back at him, he dropped his hand and sighed. "I'm just confused. Toshiro said, 'Three years' I wonder why they are changing their minds now?"

Akio shrugged. "Why look a gift horse in the mouth? Besides, you don't have time for all of this 'thinking', you're supposed to pick up your instructions at the main office."

"Shit."

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"Captain Kuchiki, thank you for answering our summons so quickly."

Byakuya stared impassively at the panel of 46 in front of him. "The message said it was urgent and of the utmost importance. I do ask that you remember I am in the midst of training my new vice captain and it is imperative that return as quickly as possible."

"O-of course." The chair seemed slightly taken aback by the noble's impatient tone. "Shall we get down to business, then?" Byakuya's eyes narrowed slightly and the chair quickly cleared his throat. "Yes, then. It has come to our attention that you selected Ichigo Kurosaki for advanced placement in your squad." He paused and looked expectantly towards Byakuya.

"And?"

The chair's brows creased. "And…I thought it was determined that the boy would remain in the Academy for at least three years before being placed in a squad."

"Well, yes that was the ruling." Byakuya admitted. "But it is the privilege and right of any captain to select _any _student from the Academy for early admission into their squad. As the captain of the sixth division, I was merely exercising that right."

"But…" The entire panel looked rather gobsmacked at that nice little loophole Byakuya slipped through. The chair found his voice. "This is not acceptable. That boy needs to learn proper discipline and etiquette before entering a squad!"

"You believe he will not learn adequate discipline and etiquette from me?"

The man backpedaled quickly. "No, no that's not what I meant. I just thought…you said yourself you are busy training your new vice captain…"

"Now I am not competent enough to instruct two pupils?" If they had been looking closely they would have caught the slight twitch of the side of his mouth. He calmly watched the man sputtered for an adequate reply before saying, "If that is all, I do have a squad to run and as you so kindly pointed out, a few new members to instruct." With that he executed a barely respectable bow and turned on his heel to leave the chamber. He was well aware of the glares burning holes into his back.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Captain?" Rangiku leaned on her desk, the paperwork she was supposed to be completing becoming quite crumpled beneath her elbows. It was late and the only reason she was still in the office was Toshiro threaten to freeze her to her chair if she didn't finish the paperwork.

Toshiro didn't even look up from the logbook. "Hn?"

"Why couldn't we have gotten Ichigo, huh?" She heaved a huge sigh. "Things would be much more exciting around here."

That comment caused her to be pinned with an intense glare. "You want 'excitement' go join eleventh." He huffed before returning his gaze to the desk. "Besides, the reason we have Kurosaki slated for Sixth is because we want _less _excitement around him, not more."

She smirked. "Aw, you know I'd never leave." He could hear her get up from the desk and soon her shadow was falling across the logbook he was trying to read and he could feel her leaning over his shoulder to see what he was doing.

"Matsumoto…I am trying to read…"

She scoffed. "What's so important about this?" He eyed her out of the side of field of vision and noticed her face was scrunched up in confusion as she scanned the page. "This is from like…150 years ago! Old 'distress call' records? For the districts?" Her questioning gaze left the book and focused on the young captain. "How did you even _get_ these?"

"Carefully." He flipped the book closed before twisting and leaning back so that he could look her square in the face. "Have you noticed that lately the 46 has been declining most of the distress calls coming in? Normally there are about ten or so a week that various squads deal with in regards to crime in the districts, etc. but lately only about a fourth of the requests coming in make it past the 46's committee."

"But why?"

Toshiro shook his head. "I don't know, but tensions are rising in the districts."

She sat down on the edge of his desk. "Life in the districts wasn't ideal in the first place, now they're denying the only smidgen of hope?"

"It seems so."


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Ichigo shoved the letter of instruction deep in one of his pockets as he exited the main office. Deep in thought, he almost missed the "Psst, Kurosaki," that was aimed at him from the shadows of the building.

He was surprised to see Morita leaning against the side of the building in the darkness and motioning him to join him. Ichigo raised an amused eyebrow but joined his slightly unhinged sensei in leaning against the wall.

"So you got accepted into the sixth?"

"Yeah."

Morita tapped his fingertips against the wall behind him. "You don't seem too happy about that."

Ichigo blinked. "Er, well…" He scratched the back of his head before shrugging. "Just surprised I guess."

"But not happy." There was a gleam in Morita's eye as if he knew something Ichigo didn't.

"What does it matter if I'm happy with it or not?" Ichigo scowled, not really liking the direction this conversation was going.

Morita snorted and rolled his eyes. "I'm going to give you a few last pieces of advice…you listening?" Ichigo nodded, resigned. "Good. You can always catch more flies with honey rather than vinegar. The richest person is the one who gives the most away. Depart not from the path which fate has you assigned. Always…"

"Any that can't be found on a fortune cookie?" Ichigo asked sarcastically.

Morita thought for a second before smirking. "Don't eat yellow snow."

"You are insane." Ichigo deemed.

Morita laughed. "Okay, here's one that might do you some good…to thine own self be true."

Ichigo caught Morita's serious gaze for a moment before he nodded and offered a small smile. "I suppose that one is alright."

Morita nodded a stood up straight. "If you ever need anything, you know where to find me." He raised a hand in farewell as he turned away from the teen. After two steps he stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Ah, and if you ever see a black cat wandering around, tell her 'Sora' says, 'hi'." With that said, he continued on his way.

Ichigo just blinked at his retreating sensei's back, too stunned to even respond.

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Shunsui was in his usual position for that time of morning. Namely flat on his back on the couch in his office taking his midmorning nap. However he wasn't sleeping this morning, instead he was discreetly watching his vice captain as she filled out paperwork.

Now this wouldn't be such a strange thing, had said vice captain not been _humming_ as she filled out the boring paperwork. Shunsui could not recall Nanao ever humming, ever. Add that to the fact that for the past six or seven weeks she had walked around with a cloud over her head and Shunsui interest was understandable.

Shunsui had a feeling it had to do with that _boy_. He had pieced together from the rumors, mainly from Rangiku, that her and Kurosaki had had a falling out. However, no matter how drunk he got Rangiku, he could never figure out what had been the disagreement in the first place but it was apparent in Nanao's sudden mood change that it had been resolved to at least some degree.

His curiosity got the better of him. "You sure are happy today, Nanao."

The humming stopped and he could feel her eyes on him so he casually lifted the side of his straw hat to send a grin in her direction.

She flushed slightly. "I don't know what you mean, Captain."

Shunsui snorted and let the hat fall back down over his face. "You were humming, Nanao."

There was a few seconds of silence then, "No I _was not._"

Shunsui couldn't help the chuckle. "Yes you were." Tipping the hat up once again, he fixed her with one of his penetrating looks. "I take it the little disagreement you had with Kurosaki was resolved?"

Nanao flushed deeper. "Somewhat." She admitted.

Shunsui nodded. "I am just glad you are back to normal." He smirked, losing all seriousness. "Though _humming_ isn't exactly normal behavior for you."

She scowled at him. "I was not humming."

Shunsui rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say." He dropped his hat back down. "As long as he makes you happy, Nanao."

She stared at him for a few seconds, completely forgetting the paperwork. Then he started humming, breaking her out of her trance. She shot him a dirty look before returning to the paperwork. She couldn't help the small smile that graced her lips while she listened to him hum very off key.

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Ichigo met the other three recently appointed sixth squad members outside the sixth's main office. He was doing his best to ignore the dirty looks they were sending his way. All seventh years, they seemed to think he did something unscrupulous to get his advancement.

After having to wait an annoyingly long time, they were invited in the office to formally meet the captain and vice captain. Ichigo tried to look like someone who had never been in a squad's office and who was intimidated by the impassive expression on Byakuya's face.

"You four have shown admirable qualities and the potential for greatness. That being said, from this moment on, you are the lowest link in the chain. Current squad members are your superiors and you will show them the proper respect. Arrogance will not be tolerated. Orders will be obeyed. Is that understood?"

Three enthusiastic voices and one not so enthusiastic voice answered, "Yes, sir!"

Byakuya didn't look all that impressed. He waved forward his vice captain, a stiff looking woman with straight black hair and black eyes. "Vice Captain Haruno will escort you around the squad grounds as well as show you to your barracks. Kurosaki, I wish to speak with you privately."

As the three new squad members and the vice captain filed out of the office, Ichigo had a fleeting hope that maybe someone was going to actually explain what the hell was going on.

"I trust you know why you're here."

Ichigo blinked. "Uh, no, not really."

Byakuya raised an eyebrow. "I knew you were dense, but I thought surely you would have noticed the increased interest a certain captain has shown in you."

"Yes…"

"I did notice he cornered you at the advancement tests. I had thought that might have tipped you off…"

"I noticed. I just didn't know anyone _else_ noticed." Ichigo scowled, thinking that the problem was a lot bigger than Byakuya knew. "So this was the solution? Me in the Sixth?"

"We determined that you would be safest inside one of the squads. It was going to take some persuading to get the Central 46 to 'agree' for you to be placed in a squad, so the best possible solution would be for you to be placed into Sixth."

"We?"

"Yes, we." Byakuya bowed his head over his paperwork. "You will need to catch up with the others."

Ichigo rolled his eyes at the clear dismissal and the left the office, his mind busy with contemplating how this new information could help his current predicament.

AN: yeah, I missed updating last week. And that's why I don't write for a living…


	25. Chapter 25

AN and FYI : writer's block SUCKS

AN and FYI : writer's block SUCKS!

Chapter 25

Ichigo slid the window to his second story room in the barracks, open. The slight rasp the latch made caused his roommate, one of the other new squad members, to blink open sleepy eyes.

"What are you doing?" he asked Ichigo suspiciously.

Ichigo tossed an annoyed look over his shoulder before sliding onto the edge of the window. "What does it look like I'm doing?" His eyes quickly scanned the dark yard below, noting the distance to the next building.

"It looks like you are climbing out of the window."

"Well then if you already knew, why did you ask?" With that he slipped out the window. His feet touched the ground below for only a second before he flash stepped towards the next building's roof.

He building hopped a few more times until the familiar tenth division office came into view. Ever since the conversation with Byakuya, he had been thinking and planning. His first objective was to make sure Nanao was safe.

Even though it was late, Ichigo was sure Toshiro would be in the office finishing up paperwork and Rangiku would be on the couch, annoying him. However, when he walked through the door, he had not expected Rangiku to squeal and jump at him.

Trying his best to breathe past her strangling, he sent Toshiro a 'Help me' look. Toshiro sighed and placed his brush back on the stand.

"Matsumoto, I believe you are strangling him."

Rangiku released her hold and took a few steps back, a very knowing look on her face. "I'm just excited that's all."

Ichigo looked from her to Toshiro, but Toshiro had already returned to his lists and wasn't inclined to be helpful. "Rangiku, what are you talking about?"

She playfully punched him on the arm. "Che, you think I wouldn't find out that you and Nanao worked things out? I find out _everything_."

Ichigo eyed her for a moment. "Uh huh. Can I talk to you for a moment?" he was well aware of Toshiro eyeing him over his papers but he was purposely looking nowhere but at Rangiku.

She shrugged her shoulders. "Sure." She threaded her arm through his to lead him out the door.

"Matsumoto."

Rangiku waved Toshiro off with her unoccupied hand. "Don't worry, Captain. I'll do the paperwork when I get back." She pushed Ichigo through the door before her captain could respond and led him a short distance to a secluded bench set between two of the division buildings.

"So, what do you need?" She plopped gracefully on the stone bench.

"I need a favor." Ichigo sat on the bench next to her, staring into the darkness in front of them.

"Yeah, I kinda figured, you want to elaborate?"

"I need you to keep an eye on Nanao for me." He glanced towards her. She stared at him for a second, seemingly trying to read his mind.

Finally she asked, "Why?"

He chewed his lower lip in thought before turning to face Rangiku fully. "I need someone to make sure she is safe. There is someone that may try and hurt her and I can't be there all the time. I trust Kyoraku to watch over her while she is at the office, it's just…"

"Who wants to hurt her?" There was an edge rarely heard in the normally bubbly woman's voice.

Ichigo shook his head. "No, I'm not dragging more people into this. Look, it all should be figured out soon enough…just…" Rangiku could see the desperation in his eyes. "Just please watch over her for a couple of days."

She raised an eyebrow. "You know, she's not going to like getting babysat…"

Ichigo snorted. "I can think of worse things."

She sighed and plastered a smile on her face. "Alright. Just give me a few minutes to tell Captain that I've got something more important to do and then I got to grab some stuff from my house…"

"Thanks Rangiku." He smiled his appreciation before disappearing into the darkness.

Rangiku watched the spot he just vacated for a few moments before shaking herself out of her speculations. She breezed through the office door; not fazed in the slightest by the glare being sent in her direction.

"So what did he want?"

Rangiku ignored the question. "Captain, haven't you always said that loyalty is one of my better traits?"

Toshiro watched suspiciously as she stacked all the undone paperwork to the corner of her desk. "Yes, but…"

"So, if I do something un-loyal then you would be ashamed to call yourself my captain correct?"

"Matsumoto I really don't see…"

"So in order to preserve _your _honor, I must help out a friend in need, right?" She smiled in triumph as he tried to follow that bit of logic. Not giving him a moment to come up with an adequate reply she headed out the door. "I'll see you in the morning, Captain!"

Toshiro sat dumbfounded. He vaguely wondered why he was labeled a child prodigy and genius if his vice captain could pull stunts like this and he seemed unable to stop her; even slowing her down would be nice at this point. Giving it up as a lost cause, he stood up from his desk to grab the remainder of her undone paperwork.

XXXXXXXXX

Nanao was pulled from her reading by a tap at her window. She stood up from her comfy chair and hesitantly drew the curtain back to be met with the sight of Ichigo hunched outside.

She slid the window open and tried not to laugh as he tumbled through and landed in a heap on the floor. "Not that I mind the company, but why did you feel the need to come through the window?"

Ichigo scowled as he tried to get to his feet. "As I recall, a couple days ago you came through my window."

She shrugged and closed the window. "Yes, well I wasn't sure how you were going to react and I thought somewhere private would be crucial."

Finding his feet, he wrapped her in a hug. "How are you feeling?"

She snorted softly. "I'm fine. I will not be treated like glass, is that understood?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, there was a knock at her door. Her face screwed up in confused when she caught a decidedly guilty look flash across Ichigo's face.

"What's going on? Who is that?"

"Umm…" While Ichigo was trying to find the words, the person at the door answered one of Nanao's questions.

"Nanao! Open up, it's me Rangiku! I know you're still awake, I can see the lights!"

"Ichigo why is Rangiku at my door?"

Deciding that he couldn't think of an answer that wouldn't end in bodily harm, he opted for a quick kiss to the forehead and a dash out the window. "Sleep well." He tossed the words over his shoulder at the irate woman.

Nanao crossed the distance to her front door and swung it open. She ignored the bubbly smile her friend gave her and asked, "Okay, you have three seconds to explain what's going on."


	26. Chapter 26

AN: Yeah, I'm alive and yeah I've excuses for why it's taken so long to get this damn chapter written but I doubt you want to

AN: Yeah, I'm alive and yeah I've excuses for why it's taken so long to get this damn chapter written but I doubt you want to hear my lame excuses so ENJOY…

Chapter 26

Ichigo knew he was no actor. Knew it like he knew his own name. So it was with that thought firmly in mind that he dropped his guard to the left and allowed the wooden staff to connect with his face.

Pain exploded behind his eyes as the cartilage in his nose cracked sideways. Blood poured between his fingers as he desperately tried to stem the flow. He was semi aware of voices talking near him, but it took several seconds before his mind cleared enough to understand what they were saying.

"…just broken. Head over to Fourth Division, they'll fix you right up." Ichigo cracked open slowly swelling eyes to see the seated officer leading the training exercise peering at his face.

"I'm sorry, so sorry. I thought you were going to block!" Ichigo felt a fleeting stab of guilt as his partner babbled apologies.

"S'Okay. I'll just head to Fourth." He tipped his head back to help slow the blood flow and walked away from the training grounds.

It only took about twenty minutes for an unseated Fourth officer to straighten out his nose and return his face to its normal proportions.

"You're going to have some bruising, but that should disappear in a day or so." She smiled and handed him a stack of papers clipped to a clipboard. "Now I need you to fill these out and turn them in at the front desk." She left him with his mouth hanging open and staring at the stack of papers.

He flipped through the twenty or so papers once before shaking his head. "Not happening." He decided before shoving the stack under his chair and setting off to find the reason he allowed his face to get smashed in in the first place.

Even during the war, he had never really stayed in Fourth for any length of time. Unless he was completely out cold, he refused to be taken back for treatment and instead utilized Hanataro's amazing abilities to patch him back together in the field. Orihime was always busy helping the more dire cases and Ichigo had to constantly reassure her that they were more important and he was perfectly fine in Hanataro's hands.

Even though he hadn't spent much time in the division, he did know where the object of his search would likely be. He was, however, extremely surprised when he knocked on the doorframe to her office and she seemed to be expecting him, complete with a cup of tea cooling on the edge of her desk.

"I trust you still enjoy green tea?" Unohana'a gentle voice broke him out of his open mouthed shock at the fact that she wasn't at all surprised to see him.

"Er, Yes, thank you." He took the few steps necessary to enter the room and slid the door shut behind him. He fidgeted, unsure of how to start.

She gave him her patented soft smile and gestured to the empty seat in front of her desk. "Please sit. I have been expecting this visit for quite some time now." She curled the fingers of her right hand around the delicate glass of the teacup and raised it to her mouth while he took his seat.

"I have a question." He paused briefly and she tilted her head in acknowledgement; they both knew he wouldn't be here if he didn't have a question. "You are really the only person—the only person I can reach at least—who would know or could at least guess at the answer."

"I am honored you think so highly of me."

"You're also the only person that knows about Nanao." His face took on a determined look as he met Unohana's gaze head on. "I need to know, how much will the child…_resemble_ its father?"

Unohana set her cup down gently. "I assume you do not mean in its looks?" She pursed her lips slightly. "How much do you know about genetics?"

He scratched the back of his head as he thought. "A bit, I suppose. I know you get half your genes from your mother and half from your father. Something about dominant and ressesive genes, which is why I got this crazy color hair even though brown is the dominant color. Not much else though."

She nodded once. "Spiritual pressure acts in much the same way. There is some speculation because yours is such a unique case, but I hypothesis that the child will still receive half its spiritual pressure from its mother and half from you. Now to address your real question, if you give half of your genes to your child, then there is a chance the child could be up to fifty percent hollow," Ichigo's face tightened. "or have no hollow traces at all. It's all dependent on just which, 'genes' if you will, you transferred. Unfortunately, there is no way to tell just how much of your hollow side your child will pick up until later on."

Ichigo stared into space for a few minutes thinking before turning back to Unohana. "You mean, that there is a possibility that he could have no hollow traces?" His voice was tight with hope he didn't dare feel.

"There is a possibility, however small the probability."

He was about to respond when a frantic knock on the door caused them both to turn their heads to the sound.

"Come in." Unohana called gently at the same Ichigo rose to his feet. But he needn't have worried about what the officer would think about his tea time chat with the captain; from the look on her face, something much more important was happening.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but Captain, you're needed right away." Unohana stood quickly and made her way toward the open doorway and her frantic subordinate.

"Thank you for the chat, Kurosaki." She said as she passed him, her mind already thinking to the crisis ahead.

Ichigo took a deep breath and pushed the talk to the back of his mind. He had more planning to do.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Matsumoto had stayed true to her word and not let Nanao out of her sight. Nanao had given it up as futile to try an pry an answer for why Masumoto seemed to think she needed to be watched and just what Ichigo had to do with it all.

Matsumoto even followed Nanao at the ungodly hour of seven in the morning to the eighth division offices and managed to keep her slightly glazed over eyes open until Shunsui stumbled in around midmorning. He had been more than surprised to see someone already occupying his couch.

She hadn't stayed around to explain why she was in his office but left it up to Nanao on what she was going to tell him. After she left, Shunsui turned to Nanao with a cocked eyebrow.

"Well?"

Nanao blew out a large sigh. "Well nothing. She and Ichigo seem to think I need watching for some odd reason." She rolled her eyes. "Apparently it's not important enough that I know _why_ I'm being babysat." She just shook her head and returned to her work.

Shunsui looked thoughtful for a few moments before bypassing the couch and settling down in his chair and pulling the current stack of paperwork towards him. He caught Nanao's incredulous look. "What?"

"What are you doing?"

Shunsui blinked, a mischievous smile playing across his lips. "Well, this is paperwork." He waved his hand over the stack. "An annoying pitfall of becoming a captain and every once in awhile I must fulfill my obligations to my post."

She just snapped shut her open mouth and returned to her own work. It seemed everyone around her was going insane.

XXXX

Matsumoto decided to take a proactive approach to avoiding the lecture she was sure to get when she stepped foot inside her own division's office. She avoided the office altogether and instead headed towards the training grounds to help with the squad's training session. It was only when they called time for lunch that she dared to see just how pissed off her short captain was at her.

Hair tied up in a knot and sweat still beading down her body from the workout, she poked her head around the doorframe only to see the room's occupant's attention was already riveted to the Hell Butterfly perched on his finger. She watched his face sink further and further into confusion before the message ended and the butterfly took off.

She had expected to get chastised but instead the first words out of his mouth had her switching gears from the apology/excuse she had planned to use.

"Has anyone from this division become seriously ill or injured in the last forty-eight hours?"

She blinked and became uncharacteristically serious. "Not as of this morning. Before the training session we preformed muster and all were accounted for."

The wrinkle between his brows deepened. "And we have no current squads out on patrol, correct?"

Now Matsumoto shared his confused expression. "Correct. It is Third's slot for normal patrol and no orders have come through otherwise, why?"

Toshiro shook his head as he finished aligning the papers on his desk and stood. "Unohana said she needed to see me about a case involving a tenth division member that was urgent. I am not sure how long this will take, but I am sure you can find something to occupy your time." He nodded towards her desk as he walked out the door.

Matsumoto's mouth dropped open at the double stack of paperwork on her desk. She groaned but decided that since Toshiro didn't lecture, she at least _try_ to tackle the enormous load.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Ichigo barely stepped foot into the sixth division when the vice captain stalked towards him, a stack of paperwork in her arms.

"The captain wishes to see you in his office." She barely paused long enough to see him nod his head before breezing past him and out of the division.

On his way to the office, he noticed the distinct lack of activity around the division. It took his growling stomach for him to realize it was lunchtime and everyone was probably in the mess hall.

He paused before knocking on the door, an idea hitting him over the head. Hoping he could pull it off, he knocked sharply and opened the door when he heard Byakuya call out.

Byakuya was sitting behind his desk, a brush in one hand and chopsticks in the other. Ichigo was slightly shocked at the sight, especially since the man did not drop a single grain of rice.

"Would you mind telling me why you felt the need to reconstruct your face this morning?"

"Er, well. It's an interesting story." Ichigo settled on the edge of the vice captain's desk, completely ignoring the glare of disdain thrown his way.

"Interesting story?" The brush was placed in its stand and Byakuya turned his full attention to Ichigo.

Ichigo chewed his lower lip and nodded. "I needed to see Unohana."

"Why?"

Sending a silent apology to Nanao, he answered, "Nanao's pregnant."

"Pregnant? And I assume the child's yours?"

Ichigo scowled. "Of course its mine!"

Byakuya just blinked.

Ichigo licked his lips and took on what he hoped was a nonchalant expression. "Actually, I was wondering if I could get a day pass for the living world – you know, to tell my crazy father before he finds out from someone else and feels the need to come here."

There were only slight changes to Byakuya's facial expression, but Ichigo had gotten rather good at reading the man's expressions. His plan was working. It was no secret that Byakuya hated the elder Kurosaki and would do just about anything to prevent the man from coming in contact with him.

From what Ichigo had gathered, Isshin and Byakuya had become captains at close to the same time. While Byakuya had taken to his post with dignity, Isshin clearly did not know the meaning of the word. This wouldn't be so bad, had Isshin not decided that since they became captains together, they should be best friends.

Ichigo would have laughed at that at the time had he also not just found out he was related to the Shibas. Isshin's mother was Ganju's mother's sister. Finding out he and Ganju were related took all the fun out of laughing at Byakuya.

"I see." Byakuya slid open his top desk drawer and pulled out a fresh piece of paper. Ichigo held his breath as Byakuya wrote for several seconds before folding the paper and setting it on the desk. He reached into a side drawer and pulled out a soul pager.

He handed both the folded sheet of paper and the pager to Ichigo. "You only have twelve hours. Do not remove your spiritual pressure depressor. Also it may be in your best interests to get through the gate before I get to the first division to turn in the paper work for this little day trip."

Ichigo nodded his understanding. The Central 46 weren't going to like this but weren't likely to recall him if he was already in the living world.

"Thanks." He took the glare he received as a 'you're welcome.'

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Unohana was waiting for Toshiro in the front room of the Fourth. That sent alarm bells ringing in his head, because if the captain felt the need to meet him rather than wait for him to find her, then the situation must be dire.

"Captain, could you please follow me?"

Toshiro nodded mutely and followed her through hallways and down a flight of stairs. The knot of unease in his stomach that had formed when the butterfly delivered its message twisted further as he caught the anxious looks many of the fourth's members seemed to be wearing.

"Captain Unohana, I…"

"Please wait just a few more moments, I promise all will be explained." She led him deeper into the complex until they came upon a set of double doors.

She stopped in front of the doors and turned to face Toshiro. "Yesterday we received a distress signal from east District 5. Hollows were terrorizing the village and had already taken several souls. Third Division sent a patrol unit out and they effectively took care of the problem." Toshiro blinked, confused and wishing she would just get to the reason why he was there.

"On their way back this morning, they came across a disturbing sight in the middle of the road. Someone had strung up a half naked woman on a cross piece so that the words that were carved on her back could be visible to all." The knot in Toshiro's stomach twisted even further. "They took the body down and upon further inspection found she had a broken zanpakuto tied to her waist and half of a Division Ten uniform."

"That's not possible." Toshiro interrupted. "We have no MIA's or AWOL's. Everyone is accounted for."

Unohana looked at him sympathetically. "They brought the body back for analysis. According to our records, her name was Ino Yamanaka, 17th seat of the Tenth Division, KIA six months ago. However, examination of the body shows she was alive 48 hours ago."

"How…what…" Toshiro shook his head. "I remember when the unit came back from that mission. They claimed they felt her spiritual pressure disappear, and saw the hollow covered in blood."

"We are not exactly sure how she was captured. There is a toxin in her system that we sent over to Twelfth. But I can safely assume she was held against her will. There are restraint marks on both wrists as well as signs of being confined."

Toshiro's face hardened. "And the words carved on her back?"

Unohana's mouth tightened into a thin line. "Power can be taken."

His eyes drifted to the closed double doors. "She's in there?"

Unohana nodded. "It is a gruesome sight," she warned.

Toshiro ignored the warning and pushed the doors open. It was a sterile looking white room with a raised table set in the center. Underneath a white cloth, he could make out the outline of a thin figure.

He was aware of Unohana behind him as he gently pulled the sheet away from the woman's face. He sucked in a breath in surprise at the bruises that littered her hollowed out face. Even through the paleness of death and emaciated features he could see the officer that had been his 17th seat.

"There is something odd about the restraint mark on her right wrist." Toshiro jumped slightly at her words but moved silently out of the way so that she could pull the sheet back to reveal the woman's arm. "If you notice, the area is swollen, even in death. Normal restraint marks tend to concave into the flesh. The bruising is consistent however."

"Who would do this?" He asked quietly as he took in the broken body; one of his own.

"The real question is, who would be able to do this?"

AN: yeah, I didn't like this chapter, but after 6 rewrites…And I've finally gotten around to seeing Diamond Dust Rebellion and now hate the Central 46 even more. Next chapter should be up next week sometime, but I've got a few papers to finish for school so we'll see how much I procrastinate…


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Ichigo stepped out of the gate and watched the hell butterfly flutter away. Calculating the time by the location of the sun, he decided his father would still be with patients so he would head to the shop first.

As he slid the door open he could catch the high-pitched voice of the children and the low murmur of Tessai berating them for one thing or another in the backyard. Urahara was lounging on the counter, striped hat hiding his face.

"Yo, buckethead. Wake up."

Urahara stretched and slipped his hat back to peer sleepily at him. Ichigo wasn't fooled; the man knew he was in the shop the moment he stepped in the door. He just liked theatrics.

"Aw, Kurosaki. What do I owe the pleasure?"

Ichigo crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. "I need your help; one of your idiotic, brilliant plans."

Urahara swung around to sit up straight. Pulling his fan from nowhere, he hid the grin spreading across his face. "Sounds entertaining."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Matsumoto was struggling through the paperwork that was left on her desk when Toshiro stormed back into the office. She nearly scattered all the papers on the floor when she caught sight of his expression.

"Uh, Captain?"

"Call muster. I want every one out on the courtyard in five minutes." He didn't even look in her direction; instead seemed intent on ripping every file down from the wall and stacking them on the floor.

"But we called muster-"

"I said call muster!" He half turned from the wall to glare in her direction. "So get out there and CALL MUSTER!"

Matsumoto's eyes got wide and her mouth dropped open in shock. "I- Yes, sir."

Toshiro sighed and rubbed a hand across his face. "I'm sorry. Look, just go out and call muster for my sanity's sake. Afterwards I'll explain." She nodded mutely, gave him a worried look and left the office.

After she left, he stared at the pile of files at his feet for several seconds. Taking a deep breath, he took as many as he could carry and transferred them to his desk. They were all the old patrol reports from the last eight months, and he was going to go through every one of them to make sure no other kidnapping had been mistaken as a KIA.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The soul pager Toshiro had given Ichigo at the beginning of his Academy days lay in scattered pieces on Urahara's table. Ichigo's brow was creased as he tried to figure out what Urahara was doing to it.

"Are you sure you know what you are doing?"

He was given a short glare in response before the hat dipped back down. "Go away."

"What?"

"Go bug someone else. I'm working here. For you, I might add. So shoo." The last was reinforced with a swift swat with his fan to Ichigo's face causing him to fall backwards.

Ichigo's scowl deepened as he righted himself. "Fine. I got to go break the news to my crazy father anyway. If I don't come back, please come rescue me."

He could hear Urahara snort as he slipped out the door. Deciding to not risk bumping into anyone while he was invisible to them, he took to the electrical poles. In the short distance between the shop and his house he tried to figure out just how he was going to explain recent circumstances to his father.

Landing silently by the front door, he phased through and headed toward the office he knew his father would be in if he wasn't with a patient. He took a deep breath and opened the door.

Ichigo only had two seconds to react to the tornado of affection that called himself his father before he was tackled. Wriggling free he put the desk between the two of them, hoping his father wouldn't just vault the obstruction.

"My son! It's been forever! I'm so glad you came to see your loving father!"

"Why can't you be _normal?_" Ichigo asked in exasperation as he shook his head at the grown man jumping up and down.

"Aw, who wants to be normal?"

"Maybe me?" he asked, brows furrowed and venom lacing his words. Isshin stopped his dancing and stared at his son with approaching sobriety. "I would absolutely _love_ to be normal. But I'm not am I? No. I'm a human and Shinigami, dead and alive, protector and destroyer. I have a monster that lives in my head, haunts my dreams and the worst part? He reflects the darkness that's really in me. He's not some demon that possesses me; he's a reflection of my own soul. And you want to know the really fucked up part? I very possibly passed that darkness on to my unborn child!"

Ichigo breathed heavily trying to regain some semblance of control over his emotions. That wasn't exactly how he had wanted to let Isshin know he was going to be a grandfather.

Isshin was shocked into silence for several seconds as the words tried to make sense. Finally he blinked, becoming serious Isshin for once, and asked, "So, you're going to be a father? I take it that is what has got you all worked up?'

Slumping against the wall in sudden exhaustion, Ichigo replied, "That's just the tip of the proverbial iceberg."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Nanao watched the Hell butterfly flutter in through the open window and hover over her snoozing captain. She sighed and held out a hand expecting the butterfly to deliver its message to her as second in command but was surprised when it continued its futile fluttering above the unresponsive Shunsui.

"Captain, wake up."

All she got in response was a snore. She knew she shouldn't have counted on him continuing his responsible streak from this morning. Especially if you combined his lazy nature with the warm day and full meal he just ate.

Sighing she stood from her desk and decided on her method of rousing Shunsui. It wasn't the smoothest method but most definitely the most effective.

As the cold water jerked Shunsui awake, he tried to get up from the couch but somehow tangled and ended up in a heap on the floor. Nanao fought back the giggles as she watched him blink in confusion at his new position.

"There is a Hell Butterfly for you and it wouldn't allow me to take the message," she informed him as she walked back to her desk.

Shunsui looked up from his position on the floor to see the tiny creature hovering over his head. "And you couldn't just say, 'Hey, Captain, there's a message for you'? You had to dump water on my head?" he reached a hand up to receive the butterfly.

Nanao shrugged as she moved a stack of paper to the 'done' pile at the end of her desk. "I tried that, you weren't listening so I had to try other methods." She looked up when she didn't get a sarcastic remark to that.

Shunsui had just released the butterfly and looked deep in thought. "There's an emergency captain's meeting."

Nanao's eyebrows shot up to her hairline. "There hasn't been one since the end of the war."

Shunsui's lips pursed as he stared out the window the butterfly flew out of. "I know."


	29. Chapter 29

AN: so how long has it been since I updated

AN: so how long has it been since I updated? You know what, nevermind I don't wanna know…It's 2am here and ya'll are lucky ducks for getting a chapter this week. Now it's off to bed for me, enjoy…

Chapter 29

"This plan is suicidal." Yoruichi's words caused the chatter around the low table to die.

Ichigo didn't even look up from what he was examining to answer. "When have they not been? What exactly is this again?" He held out the pen shaped object in question while Yoruichi just rolled her eyes.

Urahara sighed. "Do you know what an Epi-Pen is?"

Ichigo scratched his head. "Yeah, they help when someone is going into anaphylactic shock. But I'm not allergic to anything…"

"I didn't say it _was_ an Epi-Pen. Keep up. It's a portable shot of Atropine."

"You think he's going to be poisoned by an organophosphate?" Isshin asked skeptically while Ichigo just looked even more confused.

"Not necessarily. But I do know Mayuri likes toxins that wreck havoc with the parasympathetic nervous system. Atropine will help keep his heart beating…unless Mayuri goes for an anagonist sympathetic response then we don't have to worry about keeping his heart rate up."

"Well, that would be good, right?" Ichigo asked as he peered into the small hole at the end where the needle dispenses when the other end is depressed.

Urahara and Isshin exchanged a look. "Well, in that case we would be more worried about you going into cardiac arrest," Urahara answered lightly.

"Gee, sounds like fun. Who exactly was the idiot that decided this guy would be good for captaincy?" The room got deadly quiet. Urahara was trying to look innocent while Yoruichi and Isshin were glaring daggers at him. "You're not serious? It was you?!"

Urahara scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "It seemed like a good idea at the time."

"How…" He held up his hand to forestall the explanation. "On second thought I think I would rather not delve into your thought process."

"Why don't we just kidnap Nanao and hide the two of you away?" Yoruichi asked, obviously still not satisfied with the current plan.

Ichigo shook his head. "Not fair the her or the child. It's not either of their faults that I am what I am."

"So poetic and selfless!" Isshin tried to get to his son across the table but Ichigo threw a cushion in his face.

Yoruichi sighed. "At least let the idiot take care of his own mess for once."

Ichigo looked towards Urahara. "No, he'd be missed if he didn't come back."

"And you wouldn't be?" It was the first time Chad spoke since they all took their seats around the low table.

Ichigo chewed his bottom lip while he thought of how to phrase what he wanted to say. "Urahara has Jinta and Ururu to take care of still. Yuzu and Karin have Goat face here, even if he is insane." He licked his lips before he continued, "If I have to die to keep my child safe and to take that monster out," he shrugged. "It will be worth it."

"What about your child?" Chad asked quietly. "Wouldn't he rather his father be around to watch him grow up? To teach him and to guide him?"

A humorless laugh escaped Ichigo's mouth. "Who am I to teach or to guide?" He shook his head hard before loading the black cloth bag on the table with the equipment spread out around it. "All this talk is useless anyways. There is no other viable choice."

He stood and slung the bag over his shoulder. He smirked at the three still sitting around the table. "Why do you all look so dismal? This is _me_ we're talking about…you think I would just roll over and die? No faith in me at all, I swear." He shook his head and acted hurt.

Yoruichi shook her head in exasperation as she stood. Ichigo had no warning as she tackled him and kissed his cheek. "You better come back or I'll have to come drag your ass home myself. Is that understood?"

Ichigo squirmed out of her clutches. "Yeah, yeah, I hear ya."

Chad was next in line. No words needed to be spoken he simply laid a hand on Ichigo's shoulder before nodding once and exited the room with Yoruichi.

Ichigo suffered through one of his father's energetic 'hugs' for three minutes until he threw the man off. "Don't you have two daughters to annoy?"

Isshin's face sobers for a moment. "Be safe, son." Ichigo nodded before giving his father a sincere hug. Isshin let go of his son reluctantly and left the shop wiping his eyes.

Then it was just Urahara and Ichigo in the quiet room.

"Remember to hit the green button first, then wait until you're inside to hit the red one." Urahara rattled off. "If you don't hit the green one, I can't help you."

"You've told me all this already. And you are going to be in my ear the entire time in case I forget something. It's not like you to worry so much."

"Well, I've tried to make this fool proof but I might have underestimated the fool I was planning it for." Urahara retorted.

Ichigo snorted. "Thanks." He turned on his heel and headed for the door. "Just be ready, buckethead. Don't fall asleep on me or something."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Toshiro was on his way to the First Division for the captain's meeting when he very nearly ran into Renji headed the other way.

"Ah, Captain Hitsugaya. They moved the meeting. Didn't you get the message?" Renji scowled and he answered his own question. "Of course not. Damn, and I thought I was the only one they were messing with. Got my butterfly about two minutes ago."

Toshiro caught a flicker of black headed his way and lifted his hand just as the butterfly got to him. He sighed as the message ended and the butterfly fluttered away. "I thought this was a _captain's _meeting, why the hell are we meeting in the 46 chambers?" he muttered as he matched Renji's long stride.

"I don't know, but I don't like it." Renji muttered back quietly.

They weren't late but they were the last captains to take their place in the line behind Yamamoto. There was a definite tension in the air as it was apparent not everyone knew what the emergency meeting was about. The mandatory ceremonial openings were observed and then Yamamoto called Unohana to the floor.

Toshiro only listened with half an ear as Unohana explained what the squad from Third Division found and her observations. His mind was focused on the empty space where the Fifth Division captain should be standing.

They hadn't had a rank higher than third seat since the end of the war. Momo had bounced back from her delusions to lead her men during the climax of the war and some how managed to channel the anger she felt at being betrayed and used it to fight and win. She had been taken out only two days before the final battle by a ruthless group of arrancar that had cornered her squad away from the main body of the camp. They found the fallen squad ringed in fallen arrancar.

Toshiro's focus snapped back to the present when he realized Unohana had stepped back into line. Every face seemed to be in some state of shock or concern after hearing about the tragic occurrences.

"It is apparent that the Districts have decided to rise up against us."

Toshiro couldn't help the open mouthed face of shock at the Chair's words. His shock was obviously shared by the majority of the captains. Toshiro couldn't see the captain commander's face to judge his reaction but nevertheless was quite shocked when he spoke.

"I agree."


	30. Chapter 30

AN: sorry it took so long for this chapter, life's nuts at the moment

Chapter 30

Ichigo slipped through the gate and noticed the sun was just touching the horizon line. The guards at the gate barely glanced his way and he was glad he didn't have to use the half assed story he had concocted for why he had an interesting bag of goodies on hand. As he was walking away he came to the conclusion that they looked a bit on edge, but dismissed that thought. He needed to focus on what he was planning for tonight.

He made it into the sixth division without running into anyone he recognized and instead of heading for his barrack he sought out an out of the way garden that was wedged between the training grounds and the main offices.

Carefully reigning in his spiritual pressure he sat on a weather worn bench and pulled out a letter he had folded and unfolded so many times it looked well worn for not even being sent yet. He read over the words once more, trying to convince himself this was the best route to take.

As the sun dipped down further, Ichigo waited for the darkness to come.

XXXXXXXXXX

Matsumoto was unsettled to say the least when her captain walked through the door to the office in a daze. She tried to ask him about the meeting, but he couldn't even seem to form a coherent sentence.

"They think…really it's ludicrous. I can't believe…" He slumped in his chair and stared at the stack of files on his desk as if he wasn't all together sure that they weren't going to jump off the desk and attack him.

Matsumoto waited as patiently as she could for him to snap out of it and actually give her some information to work with. He finally looked up at her and she could feel her muscles tense on instinct.

"They are closing the gates."

Matsumoto blinked. That was not what she was expecting. "Why?" Her gaze jumped to look out the window. "We aren't under attack are we?" Disbelief colored her words, as she knew as well as he did that if that was the case, alarms would have been sounded.

Toshiro shook his head. "No. They see this as a precaution. They think that the districts are going to rise up and attack us," he said dryly.

"Rise up and attack us." She repeated in disbelief. "This is because of what happened this morning? They don't think this is a one time thing?"

Toshiro ran a hand through his hair. "Oh, even I don't think this is a one time thing. But to jump to such conclusions and effectively alienate all the residents in the Districts…that's like _asking_ for a rebellion."

"Well the gates have been closed before…"

"Yes, but there was discussion of sending out squads to monitor and govern districts."

"Surely the captain commander wouldn't stand for that?"

He sighed and pulled the closest file towards him. "It was his idea."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Shunsui massaged his right hand with his left; the right unaccustomed to the intensity of writing that he had been doing for the last three hours. His eyes were staring unfocused through the files on his desk, his mind on the strange actions of Yamamoto during the meeting earlier.

Shunsui wasn't blind; he had noticed that the old man's instincts have been off ever since the end of the winter war. If he were completely honest with himself, he would admit that the old man had been slipping since before that. Now he was wondering if Yamamoto's insistence that the districts were going to revolt against them was simply paranoia rearing its ugly head, or just over cautiousness.

Deciding this thinking was getting him nowhere, he picked up the six thin files sitting innocently on the left hand side of his desk. Even though they couldn't have weighed more than a pound or so, the weight felt heavy in his hand. Each file represented a shinigami death in his division in the last two years that wasn't directly witnessed.

He sighed heavily as he stood from his desk. "I'm going to drop these off." Nanao simply nodded without looking up from her own files spread across her desk and he swept through the door.

XXXXXXXXXX

Matsumoto yawned, forgoing manners as her hands were busy making sure the files she was carrying didn't end up on the ground. She was on her way to the first division to drop off the files of the possible candidates for kidnapping.

She dropped the files off and started to head back to the Tenth, but halted when she reached the Eighth. Ichigo's words from the other night came back to whisper in her ear and she couldn't help but to drop in and make sure Nanao was okay.

"Paranoia must be catching," she muttered dryly before slipping into the division.

She found her friend half-slumped over her desk, obviously fighting the urge to just lay her head down on the desk and fall asleep. She picked her head up slightly when she noticed Matsumoto standing in the doorway, an amused expression on her face.

Without a word, Matsumoto slumped down on the couch and stretched her arms over her head. She cast a critical eye over her friend. Nanao was paler than normal with black smudges marring the skin beneath her eyes. Matsumoto wondered just how much could be blamed on the current tensions running through the squads.

"I need to talk to you about something, but you must promise me it doesn't go past these walls."

Matsumoto snapped to attention, leaning forward on the couch. "Of course." Nanao leveled a skeptic look her way. "Hey, I know when to keep things to myself," she pouted.

Nanao sighed before pulling her hair out of its clip and gathering all the loose ends back up. "I…well." She started moving the papers on her desk all into one neat pile but it was obvious she wasn't really seeing what her hands were doing. Once she couldn't pretend to be occupied with the files any longer she clasped her hands together. "I'm pregnant."

Matsumoto's mouth dropped open in complete shock. There were several questions running through her mind but she couldn't seem to form any of them into words. One questions seemed to make it past the blockade in her throat. "Is it his?"

"Yes." The answer was quick. "And yes, I've told him."

Dawning realization hit Matsumoto. "So that's why he's gotten so overprotective."

Nanao shrugged. "I'm guessing that's the reason." She buried her face in her hands, her elbows propped up on the desk. "I don't know what to do," she said quietly.

Matsumoto chewed her lip trying to think. "Do you…do you want to keep it?"

"I…" She sighed. "At first I didn't…but then I heard the heartbeat and I thought 'I could do this.' But now, with all this mess." She shook her head slowly. "I don't know."

"Ichigo?"

She leaned back in her chair and stared at the ceiling. "He took the news better than I expected. But this would complicate things in his already complicated life." She tilted her chin back down to look Matsumoto in the face. "I almost wish he'd just told me to do whatever I wanted he wanted no part of it, but now…He _seems_ like he wants it and how to even bring up the possibility of terminating it?"

Matsumoto drilled her fingers against the edge of the couch. "Miscarriages happen all the time."

Nanao mulled that thought over for several seconds before placing a hand over her midsection. "I'm not even sure if I _could_ do it anymore anyway." She groaned. "Logically I know that I have no business bringing a child into this mess, but…"

"…but you're not thinking logically right now."


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Shunsui tucked his hands in his sleeves as he walked back to his division. His mind was on the stack of files he dropped off and he was wondering just how many more bodies they would find along the road being used as billboards. A rustle of cloth from his left had him slowing and turning his head, trying to make out the source of the noise in the dark alleyway.

His eyes widened as a cloaked Ichigo stepped out from the shadows. He had a fleeting thought of his zanpakuto resting in his office before turning to face Ichigo completely.

"Not really the night for a stroll, don't you think?" Shunsui asked lightly, alert for any signs of an attack.

Ichigo ignored the question and instead thrust his hand forward. Shunsui could see a folded piece of paper clutched in it. "Give this to Nanao?" It was a request, and not what Shunsui had been expecting.

"Why don't you come by the office and give it to her yourself?" He eyed Ichigo suspiciously. He could see the outline of Ichigo's zanpakuto bulging through the back of his cloak.

Ichigo shook his head and jiggled the hand with the paper clutched in it. "Please?"

Shunsui felt himself reaching for the paper before he realized what he was doing. Something in Ichigo's voice screamed of desperation and something in Ichigo's face made Shunsui realize this wasn't an easy decision on Ichigo's part; whatever that decision was. He looked down at the creased paper now in his hands.

"I still think…" His voice cut off when he looked up and realized he was talking to open space. Ichigo was long gone. It was only then, when he tried searching out the other's spiritual pressure, that he realized he hadn't felt it throughout the entire strange encounter.

His gut twisted in apprehension as he rushed back to his offices, the small piece of paper burning in his hand.

XXX

Nanao and Matsumoto jumped when Shunsui slid the office door open. Nanao wiped her moist eyes quickly hoping her captain would focus on Matsumoto until she could get her emotions back to normal.

But his eyes slid over Matsumoto sans the usual witty remark and landed on Nanao in unguarded scrutiny. "I ran into someone on the way back from dropping off the files."

Nanao flipped through the files on her desk so she could keep her head bowed and hopefully keep him from noticing her puffy eyes. "Really?"

"Mmhm. Kurosaki asked me to deliver this." He walked the few steps to stand next to her and laid the folded paper on her desk in her line of sight.

She stared at the innocent looking paper for several seconds before reaching for it with a slightly shaking hand. Shunsui's eyes never left her face, watching the small changes that broadcasted her thoughts.

Matsumoto's gaze flickered from Shunsui to Nanao, barely breathing for all the tension in the air. She watched as Nanao gently unfolded the paper and then as her face changed from confusion to shock to anger and then finally landing on stone cold facade.

"Nanao?" Shunsui asked gently.

She crushed the paper in her hand smiled at them coldly. "It's nothing. He just decided he was quitting the squads. Couldn't say goodbye to my face."

Matsumoto nearly fell off the couch while Shunsui's only reaction was that his eyes widened. He cleared his throat. "Nanao…you don't simply 'quit the squads.' At least not without some rather harsh consequences."

Nanao's hand froze with a file halfway to the done pile as she blinked rapidly. Dropping the file haphazardly, she smoothed the crumbled paper out once more and furiously reread it. "Here he starts out saying he's sorry, he's not ready to be a father." She completely missed Shunsui's jerk at that information. "And here he says he's leaving the squads." Her eyes blurred as she scanned to the end. "Nothing else really…you don't think? Maybe he just doesn't know? I mean…" She slumped back in her chair and stared blankly in front of her.

Shunsui crouched down so that he was eye level to the seated Nanao and gently touched her arm. Matsumoto suddenly felt as if she was intruding on a very intimate scene and started heading for the door. She needed to get answers anyways. She did hear Shunsui's murmured question just before she slipped out.

"Nanao…are you pregnant?"

XXXX

"Captain! We have a problem!" Matsumoto burst through the door causing her rather strung out captain to slosh the tea he had been about to drink.

He glared at her as he wiped his now scalded hand off on his pants. "You mean besides you trying to give me a heart attack?"

Matsumoto ignored his sarcasm. "It's about Ichigo. You see I was in the eighth division, that's where I was last night because Ichigo wanted me to keep an eye on Nanao, which I now know is because Nanao is pregnant, and since I hadn't checked on her since the morning I felt like I needed to check on her, and Shunsui came in with a note Ichigo gave him to give to her and basically it said he was leaving the squads, but that doesn't really make any sense because we all know it's not like he can hide his spiritual pressure, so where exactly could he hide?" She took a huge breath to ready for another ramble when Toshiro stood quickly and interrupted her with an order.

"Go get Captain Kuchiki. Tell him to meet me at the twelfth division." He grabbed his zanpakuto from its place against the wall and walked passed the slightly shocked Matsumoto. "Let's hope Kurosaki hasn't already done something stupid."

Matsumoto snapped back into focus and started out after her captain and towards the Kuchiki manor. "Yeah right. More likely to get snow in July."

AN: Hey guys, kinda important AN so listen up, 'kay? I'm graduating in December (yeah!) and moving in with my boyfriend full time (yeah!) and finding a job (not so yeah!) but that means that I'm moving away from my free internet access (most definitely not a yeah) So what does all that have to do with you? No internet for me = no chapters for you. Sucks how that works huh? Now, I _should_ be getting internet connection soon after I move, but other more important bills get taken care of before internet (and it sucks because I'm moving to the middle of nowhere so it's not like I can get a 'landline' type of access which is cheaper.) So unless I can get a chapter out next week (likely, we'll see) don't expect one for a while. I'm not abandoning this story, promise…its just RL kinda caught up with me.

Cya for now,

-chica

PS. Sorry for how short this is…I have no excuse.


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Ichigo wiped the sweat from his hands on his pants before hitting the switch on the modified soul pager and placing the communicator in his ear. He heard static for a few breathless seconds before a familiar voice echoed in his ear.

"Hello, Kurosaki! What can I do for you this fine evening?"

Ichigo bit back the sarcastic comment poised on his tongue and focused on the task at hand. "I'm ready to hit the green button. I buried the four pods where you told me, are you ready?" He was hiding in the shadows outside the twelfth division compound a mere twenty feet from the front gates. The black cloak that hid his spiritual pressure so much better than he could ever do himself, was doing its job well as the two guards hadn't looked in his direction once.

There was a whirling noise on the other end of the line then Urahara chirped, "Ready when you are."

Ichigo swallowed before gritting his teeth and hitting the green button on the hand held device. He could see a barely visible film explode upwards from the four pods he planted around the division earlier. Unfortunately, so could the guards.

He cursed under his breath as the two guards stared at the bubble that was slowly surrounding them. Gathering his cloak around him securely, he rushed at the still shocked men, using the element of surprise to his advantage. He took them down quickly

"Oh look, I can see you now. Time to hit the red button, or your prey may wander off before you can get to him." Urahara's voice had Ichigo yanking the device out of the pocket he had stashed it in before rushing the guards, and jamming the red button.

This time the film was an almost opaque white, doming over the division in a very conspicuous manner.

"Guess there is no turning back now." Ichigo muttered.

"In that case, you might want to get a move on. You have company headed your way."

XXX

"Oy! Captain Kuchiki!" Matsumoto banged the side of her fist against the wooden gate of the Kuchiki compound.

A flustered sentry yanked open the gate and barely missed getting his head knocked off by Matsumoto's fist as she tried to continue to knock on the gate that was no longer in front of her.

"Ah, what are you doing? Do you have any idea what time it is?!" The poor sentry rubbed the lump on his head from where Matsumoto knocked on it and glared at her. "If you wake the household with this racket, there'll be hell to pay!"

"I need Captain Kuchiki."

"Well, he's retired for the night. Come back in the morning." The sentry started to close the gate.

Matsumoto held the gate open and scowled. "It's an emergency! I am a vice captain and I need to speak with the captain Inow/I."

The sentry opened his mouth to argue when a voice from behind him caused his face to go white.

"What is the meaning of this?" Byakuya appeared in Matsumoto's line of view as the sentry became distracted and she managed to force the gate all the way open. "Vice captain Matsumoto, what are you doing banging on my gate?"

"Captain Hitsugaya sent me to tell you to meet him at the Twelfth Division. It's something to do with Ichigo and…"

Byakuya cut her off. "Stay here, I will return shortly." He flash stepped towards the main house.

Matsumoto spent a few seconds making faces at the still pale sentry before Byakuya returned, completely dressed in uniform with his zanpakuto strapped to his waist.

They made it one flash step from his gate before they both stopped, staring in the direction of the Twelfth Division. Along with an odd white dome that seemed to encompass the entire Twelfth Division, they could feel someone's spiritual pressure spiking.

"That's Captain." Matsumoto identified the immense pressure. Byakuya, not even bothering to respond, disappeared into a flash step.

XXX

Toshiro started to feel the strain as he spiked his spiritual pressure as high as he could without going into bankai. He raised his ice-crusted sword above his head and brought it down with all his strength on the white dome beneath his feet. The dome didn't even shake, much less crack.

He crouched down and touched the smooth surface with his fingertips, pouring his spiritual pressure down the dome, looking for a crack or weakness. After a thorough inspection he realized there wasn't one to find.

He rocked back on his heels and noticed the crowd gathering around the dome. He knew it would only take a few more moments for the alarms to start blaring and for the captains to start gathering.

XXX

Shunsui stopped mid sentence as the spike in spiritual pressure caused his and Nanao's attention to be snagged from their current conversation.

"What in the world?" Nanao asked as she stood from her chair and reached blindly for her zanpakuto that was leaning against the wall.

Shunsui was on his feet as well. "Perhaps we should go see what has got our youngest captain all riled up?" His tone was light but Nanao could see the worry in his eyes.

There was already a small crowd gathered around the odd white dome hiding the twelfth division from view and the two headed towards where the spiritual spike was still niggling at their senses.

Toshiro, still in shikai with his frozen sword slung over his shoulder, gained quite a few stares from the lower seated officers that started to gather around the dome. However, there was a significant berth around the captain as only two figures had crossed the invisible line and stood beside him.

Shunsui and Nanao joined them just as Toshiro sheathed his sword and the swirling spiritual pressure died down.

"What is going on?" Nanao asked as she studied the milky-white dome that rose up from the ground in front of them. She watched Toshiro and Byakuya exchange an unreadable glance but it was Matsumoto that gave her any type of answer.

"Ichigo."

XXX

Ichigo slipped around a corner and flattened against the wall as a set of running footsteps passed by his hiding place. His black cloak blended better in the darkness and shadows outside than the white wall he was now trying to sink into.

"Alright, twenty more feet and on your left. You have six seconds to get there without being seen." The voice crackled a bit in his ear, but he heard the urgency just fine.

Knowing he didn't have enough time to even look around, he trusted his 'eye in the sky' and pushed off the wall into a sprint. The door was right were Urahara said it would be and Ichigo yanked on the handle and practically flung himself inside before yanking the door closed. He leaned against the closed door and took a deep breath before looking around the room.

There wasn't much to look at. It was about six feet square with shelves on three walls. The only apparent exit being the door he just came through. "Uh, you lead to me to a closet…" There was more than just a hint of exasperation in Ichigo's voice.

"On your right, second shelf from the bottom, feel along the underside of the edge."

Ichigo shook his head, but did what he was told. His fingertips ran over a crack in the wooden shelves. A little more exploration and he realized the crack extended into a square and he dug a fingernail in and popped the slice of wood out. In the indention his fingers could make out three buttons.

"Okay, I found the buttons," Ichigo admitted.

"Push them."

AN: sorry it took so long for the update. It was the whole moving mess, then my muse took a hike. But hopefully I'll do better…


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Renji looked around the hall at the gathered captains. It was his first real emergency as a captain and he was looking to the others at how he should be reacting to one of their divisions being incased in a seemingly impenetrable white dome. Surprisingly most seemed to have come to the conclusion that this was simply an unsanctioned experiment gone wrong.

Captain Hitsugaya on the other hand, seemed restless. His hand kept straying to the hilt of his zanpakuto while his eyes kept straying to the main doors.

Renji's musings were cut short when the doors opened and Yamamoto strode in, his vice captain and a nervous twelfth division member a step behind. Renji guessed this must be the highest-ranking officer who was outside of the division when the dome went up.

Yamamoto arrived at the end of the hall and turned abruptly to face his captains, causing the poor officer to come to an abrupt halt to avoid walking into him. The Vice seemed used to his captain's walking habits and had executed a swift quarter left face to continue on to the end of the hall.

"Eighth seat Echizen, to your knowledge is the dome surrounding the twelfth division a result of a misguided experiment preformed by your captain?" Yamamoto's voice echoed in the quiet chamber.

The officer swallowed thickly before shaking his head. "Not to my knowledge, sir, no."

There were a few mutters among the captains but Yamamoto only nodded once and said, "You are dismissed." The poor officer bowed quickly before scurrying out of the chamber. The silence only lasted a moment before it was broken.

"Sir, if I may?" Shunsui's request had every eye trained on him in surprise. He was rarely one to start any of the discussions, more likely to sit back and analyze before offering his opinion. Yamamoto dipped his head in consent.

"A few hours ago, I ran into Kurosaki on my way back from the first division. He seemed," Shunsui tilted his head to the side, seeming to search for the correct adjective, "Agitated. I knew he was having troubles," he smiled ruefully, "of the female persuasion and I thought that was what had him all riled up. He seemed intent on me delivering a letter. It was only after he left I realized I had not felt his spiritual pressure the entire meeting. It seemed, odd."

"Kurosaki does not have the control to completely mask his spiritual pressure," Soifon said flatly.

Shunsui shrugged one shoulder in acquiescence. "Well, he did have a rather unique cloak." He admitted dryly.

"I thought that cloak was lost in the last battle? Wasn't it torn to shreds?" Renji asked hesitantly. There were murmurs of agreement.

"I might be able to explain how he acquired a replacement." Byakuya's quiet voice caught their attention. Yamamoto simply cracked open an eye to gaze questioningly, which Byakuya took as an order to elaborate. "He requested a day pass early this morning. And considering he has not been to the real world in over a year I felt no need to decline his request. I would have assumed, however that the guards at the gate would have checked and catalogued anything he brought back from the real world."

"Wait a second," Renji tried not to shudder at the cold look Byakuya sent his way for interrupting, "How do we even know Ichigo has anything to do with all of this? So he was running around and handing out letters? What motive does he have to attack the twelfth division?"

XXX

Ichigo pressed the buttons hidden under the shelf which caused a load click, then he could hear chains jingling as the wall opened up. Ichigo stepped through the opening and caught himself before he fell down the stairs.

"What is with you and underground passageways? Were you a mole in a past life or something?" He grumbled as he made his way down the stairs. He came to a stop when the door behind him slammed shut, effectively cutting off any of the little light that filtered in. "Uh…"

"Three more steps down there should be a switch," Urahara answered his unasked question.

His fingers groped along the wall before finding said switch. With a quiet snip lights flooded the stairwell.

"At least it's not very long." There were only about ten steps before he could see flat ground stretching off. "So what's going on above?"

"Well…Mayuri is getting good and worked up. He's pacing his little command room as we speak." Ichigo came to the end of the stairs and noticed a corridor leading off to the left for about twenty feet then turning sharply to the right. He made his way down it stealthily.

"How many total am I looking at?"

"Quick count says thirty seven plus captain and vice. And twenty eight are showing up as below seated power levels."

"So that's… the captain, the vice, seven seated officers, and thirty-three unseated officers against one?"

Ichigo could almost see the nonchalant shrug. "Well, _I_ like… your… odds." Urahara's voice trailed off just as Ichigo landed at the bottom of the stair. "Hmmmm."

"Hmm, what?"

"Ah, I'm sure it's nothing," Urahara replied distractedly.

"And if it's not nothing?" He glanced around the corner and was relieved if unsurprised to see the corridor leading away completely empty.

"We'll cross that bridge if we come to it."

XXXXXXXXX

Nanao was at the end of her rope. She felt nauseous from both the frenzied activity and the knot of worry in her stomach.

She couldn't help the dash of anger as well. After all, Ichigo should have been able to trust her with whatever this was. Instead he gave her some cockamamie story about leaving the squads and left her to struggle through the confusion of him attacking an entire division.

A flash of strawberry blonde hair caught her eye and she made a beeline for Matsumoto. She was giving out orders to a squadron of tenth division members, but Nanao grabbed her by the upper arm and started marching her away.

"Er, yeah…do what I said," Matsumoto managed to toss over her shoulder as she was being dragged away. "Is there a reason you're kidnapping me?" She tried to smile at her friend, but when she caught Nanao's expression, she opted to chew her lip instead.

Nanao released her hold once she was sure they were in an out of the way corner beside an storage shed. Turning to face her head on, she crossed her arms. "Tell me what is going on."

Matsumoto shrugged helplessly. "I don't know."

Nanao raised an eyebrow skeptically. "You seem to know more than I do. For example, you seem to think Ichigo is somehow behind all of this." She spread her hand out in a gesture that included their chaotic surroundings and the white domed division.

"Er, well…" Matsumoto hedged for a minute until Nanao's glare wore her down. She heaved a sigh and ran her fingers through her hair. "I suppose he never told you?"

"Told me _what?_"

Matsumoto mumbled a few choice words under her breath before speaking. "Ichigo is…different. On a _soul_ level." Nanao just blinked in confusion. She decided to try a different track. "Do you remember the last battle?"

"Of course, some days I wish I didn't."

"Yeah, well. Remember right before the end, that huge upsurge in power everyone felt originating from the castle?"

_The battle had been raging for hours. Nanao was resorting to enchantless kido as the man assigned to her to distract the hollows until she could finish them off was crumpled behind her. A large gash across his chest did not give Nanao much hope he would be getting up to help anytime soon. _

_A mid level hollow was now hoping to get her and her injured comrade as a two for one deal. She brought her spiritual pressure to her fingertips as she readied the kido, when an upsurge in power caught everyone's attention._

_The battlefield came to a complete standstill. Hollow and Shinigami alike froze as the terrible spiritual pressure rolled over them. Nanao could just pinpoint the origin as the castle and could only hope that it wasn't Aizen readying his final attack. It didn't feel entirely hollow-like but it was a far cry from a pure soul. _

_Nanao came back to herself in time to take the still stunned hollow by surprise. Unfortunately, there was one to take its place and she soon lost all curiosity for the unknown spiritual surge in favor of staying alive._

_It was only after, when Hitsugaya, Ichigo and Kuchiki were gathered on the main balcony, bloody but not broken, that she noticed the strange spiritual pressure was gone. She came to the conclusion it must have been Aizen after all, or one of his monsters, and the reason it was gone was that it had been killed. When the blue haired espada that had allied with Ichigo called all of the hollows off, she was so astounded that she put the spiritual pressure surge completely out of her mind. _

"Of course I remember. What does this have to do with Ichigo? So he fought whoever had that incredible spiritual pressure. I already knew he was strong."

Matsumoto shook her head slowly. "Nanao, he didn't _fight _the one with the high spiritual pressure, he _was_ the one with the high spiritual pressure."

"But it wasn't…"

"Shinigami?" Matsumoto supplied helpfully. "That's because Ichigo isn't really a shinigami."

"Then what is he?" Nanao whispered.

"He was a Vizard." Matsumoto looked to the side as if she really didn't want to tell her this.

"What do you mean, _was_?"

Matsumoto swallowed, but plowed on. "He _evolved. _There really isn't a term for him now, he's one of a kind." She scratched the back of her head uncomfortable. "Look, I only told you this because, you're, you know," she gestured towards Nanao's still flat stomach. "The only ones around here who know Ichigo is abnormal at all are the captains and Rukia, and the only ones that know he's _more_ than abnormal are Rukia, Renji, Captain, Captain Kuchiki and me." Matsumoto realized she was babbling but couldn't seem to stop.

Nanao opened her mouth to deny it all when the earth seemed to move beneath her feet and an explosion of sound nearly deafened her. The two of them grabbed hold of the shed they were standing against to stay vertical and looked around frantically for the source of the disturbance.

Matsumoto spotted it first. "The dome is falling apart!" she pointed towards the white dome which was cracking down the side and disappearing as it fell. Smoke and debris could be seen though the chaos as well as figures running out of the ruined division buildings.

AN: yup, I'm alive and nope I haven't abandoned this story. Took me a long 6 months to get this chapter up and I am sincerely sorry for that but life and writer's block got in the way…

Also, I'm editing and revamping my earlier chapters. This means I need a beta if anyone knows of someone that is really good at fixing grammar/spelling/sentence structure issues and would like a long story to work with (and no real deadline as I'll only be editing this arc now) send them my way.

Hugs

chica


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

"Captain, we are having no luck with the barrier." The poor officer barely ducked the clipboard thrown at his head.

"You idiot. I don't want the barrier down! Then he'll escape!" Mayuri rolled his eyes at his incompetent subordinate before pushing another officer away from the central screens. They were lit up with a infrared display of his division. A slow smile crept across his face causing the man who he had pushed aside to flinch away in self preservation and find something on the other side of the room that needed his immediate attention.

"He's in the underground. What a perfect opportunity to test out my new weapons!"

"Um, sir…" the officer who ducked the flying clipboard quailed under the glare but barreled on nonetheless, "do you really think that's a good idea? What if they get out of control?" This time Mayuri didn't miss.

XXX

"Kurosaki _has_ a motive." Toshiro's blunt statement cut off Renji's arguments.

"And that would be?"

Toshiro massaged his forehead with one hand and suddenly felt very tired. They were all staring at him, save Byakuya who was looking off into space apparently bored with the proceedings.

"We are all well aware that Kurosaki is _unique. _An experimental subject that any scientist would cut off his right arm for."

"Yes, but Kurosaki has made it quite clear that he is not interested in being in any of Mayuri's…experiments." Ukitake's face twisted slightly, betraying just how he felt about these experiments.

"Yes, well, Kurotsuchi seems to have found something to hold over Kurosaki's head." Toshiro faintly wondered how more hadn't seen the manipulations that the twelfth division captain had been putting into motion the last few weeks.

"Nanao's pregnant," he waited the few minutes for that to sink in clearly before adding, "With Kurosaki's child. And Kurotsuchi found out."

"I will kill that man." Every eye turned on the still smiling healer, her tone causing most of them to shudder. Toshiro figured she must have known about the pregnancy and Byakuya and Shunsui had decidedly not surprised expressions on their faces.

"I think you may have to get in line." Shunsui countered cheerfully.

"Wait a second, I don't get it." Kenpachi scratched the back of his head.

Toshiro tried really hard not to sigh in exasperation. He needed as many captains on his side as possible, so with that thought in mind, he kept the annoyance out of his voice. "Kurotsuchi is threatening to go to the Central 46 about Kurosaki's _uniqueness _and while Kurosaki wouldn't necessarily care- and even with the headache that would cause it could be smoothed over with the fact that he did have a significant hand in helping us with that little battle no one is supposed to talk about-" there was just a hint of sarcasm in his voice, not enough to be outright reprimanded but it did earn him an annoyed glare from Yamamoto, "it would get around that the child could also have this uniqueness, and it wouldn't be a stretch that Kurotsuchi would insist that he _observe _the child and that the 46 would grant his request."

Before the chatter could get too carried away with that theory, Yamamoto caught their attention with a thud of his cane. "This discussion is pointless. The why is not nearly as important as the how and the how we are going to put a stop to this and take down Kurosaki."

"We can't kill him." Toshiro was happy to hear at least a few murmurs in agreement even as he was currently getting yet another annoyed look from Yamamoto. He had a feeling he would be paying for this insubordination sometime soon, but he put that out of his mind.

"Just because he's your friend…" But Toshiro didn't let Soifon finish her lecture.

"No, you misunderstood me. I don't mean we shouldn't kill him. I mean we probably _can't_."

_XXX_

He was bored, plain and simple. He had felt the mysterious rumblings that meant something was going on outside his cage but he didn't know what and if it didn't mean he could get out, he didn't care.

"Yuro…hey are you alive over there?"

Rolling his eyes but moving over to the corner so he could stick a hand through the bars, he flipped his companion off. "What the hell do you want, Sukeru? I was trying to sleep."

"You _don't _sleep." She responded dryly. Leaning against her own cage wall, she had her back to him so she probably missed his earlier gesture. She turned to look over her shoulder, pushing her stringy black hair out of her face so she could glare at him.

"I could dream…"

"You don't do that either." She snorted at his barely concealed snarl. "What do you think is happening out there?'

Yuro sighed, temper quelled and back to bored. "Hell if I know."

It was only moments later when the small speaker built into the wall between their two cages came to life.

"Yuro, Sukeru, get your asses up. Time for you to earn your keep." With that both cage doors open with a click.

Yuro snorted. "Our keep?" But he kept it low enough that he hoped that the strange speaker didn't catch it. He stiffened as a slight electric current ran through his body. Apparently it _had_ heard him. One hand went up to grab at the wire collar around his neck and he just glared at the dark haired woman currently snickering at him.

"Your mission is to capture -not kill, Yuro- the invader. I want him in relatively one piece, or at least in big enough pieces I can put him back together. Is that understood?"

Yuro went to say something, but Sukeru leaped on her partner and covered his mouth with her hand. If the idiot got himself killed she would be down in this hole with nobody to annoy. "Of course," she replied towards the speaker sweetly, meanwhile dragging Yuro towards the open archway that lead out of their 'room'.

_XXX_

"Shit." The low curse caused Ichigo to slam to a stop and press the earpiece deeper into his ear. He wasn't sure if he had been meant to hear that or not but it nevertheless made his blood run cold. The stone corridor seemed to constrict around him.

"What?" he asked anxiously.

"I'm sorry Ichigo." The apology was soft spoken and made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. Urahara didn't apologize until after he sent you through hell and you were safely back. The fact that he was apologizing now made Ichigo realize that he didn't think he'd be coming back.

He swallowed thickly before asking, "What is it?" He was already scanning his immediate area for enemies and was surprised to feel spiritual pressures that didn't feel whole or hollow, they just _were._ "What are _they?_" he amended his question.

_XXX_

He was keeping to the shadows, his signature suppressed, watching the chaos around him. No one paid him any mind, after all he wasn't a seated officer.

He had to admit the large white dome was fascinating. He wished he could get a closer look and see just what Urahara had created. Because, of course he knew this must be a product of Urahara's genius.

This whole debacle was throwing quite a kink in his plans. For one, he wanted to be the one to kill off the twelfth division captain. For another, Kurosaki was probably going to get himself either killed or locked up, neither which served his purposes in the least.

"You could have been great," He muttered towards the white dome, "What a waste."

XXX

"They are an experiment I pulled the plug on years and years ago. Apparently someone decided to continue on without me." There was a sharp edge to Urahara's voice. "Hollows are attracted to souls with high spiritual pressure, we were trying to mold a mod soul, a warrior, that would not attract hollows. Unfortunately, the experiments all ended in failure. We couldn't get the balance exactly right in anything that wasn't inanimate. My cloak was a slight upside to the overall failure of the project."

"Hm. So how do I fight them?" Ichigo wasn't really interested in the history. He could feel them approaching. "And why can I feel them if you said the whole point was so that they didn't attract any attention?" His hand went to the hilt of Zangetsu.

"Every living thing gives off some signal. They, however give off nothing more than that of a power source, such as a generator or even fire. That was why I didn't notice them right away." Ichigo could hear the echo of keys through his earpiece. "I didn't notice until they started moving. In an enclosed space you are definitely at a disadvantage. I think you're best bet is to get somewhere less confined."

"Right, I'll get right on that." he replied dryly. Ichigo missed Urahara's reply as two figures seemed to suddenly melt out of the shadows fifteen feet from his position.

The one on the right was distinctly female with stringy black hair falling in her face. The other was male, his ash colored hair sticking out from his head in a fashion that lent him an insane air. Both were clothed in simple grey clothes and were barefooted with zanpakuto belted at their waist. From the little skin Ichigo could see on their arms and faces, he noticed they were marked with strange black designs.

"This is him?" the male scratched the back of his head and yawned. "Seems kinda puny."

His partner smacked the back of his head and hissed, "Are you complaining? We'll just have to play around a bit to make it last." She shot Ichigo a predatory smile. "After all, we should thank you. We haven't been out in a while."

"Hm." Keeping an eye on his opponents he gripped his zanpakuto with one hand and pulled the cloak from around his shoulders. No use masking his signature now if they already knew where he was.

"Maybe this _will_ be interesting." He stood more to attention, obviously noting the rise in Ichigo's spiritual pressure.

"Less confined space?" Ichigo muttered to himself. He eyed the ceiling and sighed. "You know, for once…just once…I wish a plan would go _as planned."_ With that the world exploded outwards.

XXX

"Explain yourself." Toshiro prided himself in not flinching at the sudden steel in his superior's voice. He also wondered if Byakuya or Renji would throw themselves in the fire with him.

"The hollow that resides within him," Byakuya spoke up before Toshiro could formulate an adequate response. "During the last battle, he evolved. He was mortally wounded and we thought that his fight was over when…"

A large explosion caught their attention and cut off whatever Byakuya was going to say. A flurry of movement and every captain was on the balcony and watched in shock as the white dome that encompassed the twelfth division started to fall apart. Moving in flash steps they crossed the large distance between first and twelfth in record time; time enough to see three figures fly out of the smoking wreckage.

Ichigo's distinct hair caught every eye, but what was more troubling as he faced off against the two unknown opponents was the hollow taint creeping into his signature.

AN: it's choppy, I know…it's how it wanted to be written *shrug* And I went a bit crazy with the ellipsis and the italics but, oh well :/ at least you didn't have to wait 6 months, right? ;)

Hugs,

chica


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